The Circumstances Of Crossing Paths
by The Fandom Queen
Summary: My take on the marriage law. Fred and Hermione are thrown together unexpectedly. Can love blossom out of this? Fremione. Post war. Deathly Hallows does not apply. Well, the deaths at least.
1. A Secret Place

**The Circumstances Of Crossing Paths:**

_**A/n: Hello! This is my take on the marriage law idea that's been going around. I hope I'm not too late on the uptake. You may know me from my Dramione story- "What Is A Pureblood?" which I have to admit.. Is not my best work. I'm going to take a leave from that for a while (so sorry!) because I'm having MAJOR writers block. Probably why it's pretty shoddy. Anywho, I'm currently camping! Yes, I do that during the summer. No, there is no wifi. Tragic, I know. But I get by by reading a lot. I've finished two books in the last three days, (I read very quickly) Paper Towns by John Green, easily a favourite. The man is a fantastic author. And The Noah Confessions by Barbara Hall. Decent book, although I didn't understand all of it. Next I will be reading The Road, by a guy whose name I don't remember, and then a book called Hereafter after that. I believe this story takes place after The War (I don't usually think about timelines) and obviously nobody has died. Well. Without further adieu- The Circumstances Of Crossing Paths.**_

_**Chapter One: A Secret Place**_

It was a fine summers day in the Weasley household on the morning of July the 7th. The birds were singing outside the windows, and so was Mrs. Weasley. The plump woman was zooming about her kitchen preparing a feast of sorts for the birthday of her oldest child- Charlie. He had come home from Romania just long enough for Mrs. Weasley to fuss over him to the point of suffocation. But he bore with it. It was only for a few days, and she was his mother. The feast of sorts was to take place at promptly seven thirty that evening, and every close friend and family member had been invited.

The Trio had been staying at the Weasley household since the end of the war, and they didn't plan on leaving anytime soon. It was nice to have some peace and quiet after all of the ruckus that had taken place over the last seventeen years. The War had only ended a few months previously, and the reconstruction was a tedious process. Mr. Weasley and Percy spent long hours at the ministry, passing new laws, interrogating Death Eaters and overseeing the rebuilding of the wizard community. The first place to go under major remodel was, of course, Diagon Alley. Since it was the center of the British wizarding community, it couldn't be left in ruins. Therefore, it had been fixed, shiny and new.

The second place to be fixed was Hogwarts. The damage to the school had been so grand that there were fears of it never being fixed. But, of course, Minerva McGonagall would never allow that to happen. She was the school's new headmaster, and it was her duty to the school and the wizard community to fix it. Hogwarts was over a thousand years old. Surely this wasn't the worst it would ever go through.

Hermione awoke to the sound of pots and pans clanging early that morning. It was light outside, but just barely. Hermione had always been a light sleeper, so it was no surprise that she had awoken early on this day. She was excited for the party tonight. She hadn't seen a lot of the people coming since the end of the war.

Hermione crawled out of bed and reached for her night dress. She tried not to wake Ginny as she inched across the squeaky floorboards and down the narrow set of rickety stairs. The living room was empty except for her cat, Crookshanks, and Hedwig. Crookshanks was curled into a gingery ball on the sofa and Hedwig slept peacefully in her cage.

Hermione made her way to the kitchen. When Mrs. Weasley saw her she immediately enveloped her into a tight hug.

"Good morning, dear. How did you sleep, would you like some breakfast?" She smiled warmly at her before turning to a stewing pot.

"I slept well. I'll just have some toast and tea. I'll make it. I'm going to go for a walk."

"That sounds lovely, dear."

Hermione made her breakfast and ate it hurriedly before taking a leisurely shower and heading into the gardens. She liked the extensive Weasley gardens very much. There was always something to see, or something to happen upon. She was convinced that the things here moved because nothing was ever in its exact place as it had been before.

When you got outside the house, there were two rows of cherry blossom trees that formed a sort of corridor into the garden. From there there were three pathways you could take. One, the left one, took you down to the pond. It was a nice pond, the water wasn't too murky, and there weren't any magical beings that would bite off your toes or try to strangle you. The middle one took you to the quidditch pitch. The Weasley's had had this for years, ever since Charlie was born. It was simply a round open field with trees surrounding it, and a paddock with the equipment to the side. The right path took you to a beautiful part of the garden where there were hedge mazes and it was easy to get lost.

Today Hermione took the left path down to the pond. It was quite warm out and she fancied a swim. When she got there she quickly stripped off her clothing, revealing a black polka dotted two piece. She walked to the edge of the dock, toeing the water, before diving in head first. The water was cool against her skin as it washed off the sweat she had accumulated from her walk down there. She opened her eyes, expecting to see the green of the water, but instead found a pair of blue eyes staring back at her.

Hermione fought the water as she let out a silent, bubbly scream in effort to get to the surface. Not five feet away a second head broke the surface and gave her a bewildered look. The familiar red haired man shook water out of his eyes before turning to stare at her, completely bewildered.

"Hermione! What are you doing here!" he said.

"I could say the same to you. I came here for a swim. It's hot."

"Well so did I." Fred replied, "and that's exactly what I plan on doing. So, are you just going to float there staring at me like that or are you going to swim?" His bewildered look was replaced with a smile.

She glanced back towards the house. "Maybe I should go back and see if your mother needs any help.."

"Come off it, Hermione, you know she'll just tell you no and to go have fun. None of the others are even awake yet. Why don't you just stay down here and enjoy the peace and quiet?"

She sighed before nodding her head in agreement.

"Good. So, what are you doing down here at this time of morning?"

"Exactly what I said. Going for a swim. It's hot."

"Yes, but alone? I thought you'd be with Ginny or Ron or something."

"No. I enjoy the mornings to myself."

"As do I. Come with me, there's something I want to show you."

He led her out of the water before towel drying his hair and body and putting his shirt back on. He wasn't as muscled as Charlie, but he didn't lack in that department, either. He wasn't bulky, but he was toned in all of the right places.

He led her around the pond and on a path she had never been before. It occurred to her that she had no idea where they were going and she should probably ask.

"Fred, where are we going?"

He turned to her and smiled. "George and I found this place a while back. We've never shown anyone before. I thought you'd be interested."

They walked a little ways longer and down a hill to the bottom. In side of the hill was a large, round, metal door.

"What is it?" She asked.

"It's an old muggle bomb shelter from World War 2. We found it a few years ago. It's pretty cool."

He opened the shelter and they walked inside, exploring. He showed her all of the things he and George had found over the past years, smiling warmly at her awed expression and obvious intrigue. It was around lunchtime when they began heading back the way they came. They were halfway up the tree corridor when they heard the shouting. Mrs. Weasley was yelling louder than Hermione had ever heard anyone yell.

"Oh no." Fred looked at her, and they took off running.

A/n: How'd you like it? I'm not going to pine for reviews, but it would be appreciated. Anything to improve or add? Let me know! Thank you for reading!


	2. Fury and Cornbread

**The Circumstances Of Crossing Paths:**

_**A/n: Sorry for that cliffhanger! I really needed to go to bed, I was exhausted. As I'm writing this chapter I've actually just woken up. Still camping, but we're leaving today. And that probably means another chapter written. Yay! I like to keep up on my chapters or else I'll just put it off and never write. Luckily, I have three days of school left until the term is over! They're all exams though, which are nasty. By the time you've read this I'll already have taken them and be off school! I hope you enjoy this chapter. With so many of the stories I've read like this it's a bit difficult to make it original. But I am trying. My dog just took a nosedive off of my couch. She's stupid. Anyways... Here you go!**_

Disclaimer: Although I wish I owned these characters, I am simply taking them out to play. The plot is mine, though. As is their development.

**Chapter Two: Fury and Cornbread**

When Fred and Hermione reached the house they were almost deafened by Mrs. Weasley's yells. She was standing in the living room with a very tired looking Percy and Arthur Weasley. It seemed that she had been yelling about a letter she was clasping in her hand. That soon became very clear.

The other Weasleys and Harry clambered down the stairs to see what all of the fuss was about.

"How could they do this, Arthur? They have no right! These are our children they're talking about! They are not of marrying age! Barely out of Hogwarts! I protest! Percy, Arthur, is their anything you can do?"

"I'm afraid not, Molly. We've tried. We weren't allowed to say anything until today. The Ministry has been keeping this whole plan under wraps. They're scared that we lost too much wizarding blood in The War, and we need to reproduce. I think they have the right idea but are going about it the wrong way." He looked grim.

Ron and Harry stood next to the stairs, mouths open, looking confused. Ginny, who had caught on, looked scared out of her mind. Fred looked angry, while George looked compliant.

Ginny spoke first. "Now wait just a minute. What are you talking about? Let me see that letter." she held out her hand to take the letter, but Mrs. Weasley pulled away.

"Why don't you take your own." she spat, "You've all got one over there." She gestured to the stack of letters on the desk under the window.

Hermione reached for hers timidly. She was afraid of what she would read upon opening it. But she did it anyways, and it read as follows:

Miss Granger,

We at the ministry have passed a new law requiring young witches and wizards between the ages of seventeen and twenty nine to marry. The reason for this is the need for reproduction of the wizarding race. During the great War, too much blood was spilt causing an extreme drop in our population. Therefore, there is great need. Don't fret over this! We are going to be sure to match you with someone who is right for you and you will be very happy with. The new Department Of Magical Marriages has taken care to make sure this is a full proof process. We have compiled a list of questions for you to fill out (see the second page) that will help us determine your match. Be completely honest! It is essential! You must have this questionnaire completed and owled back within a week (Tuesday). Wednesday next the names of you and your match will be printed in The Daily Prophet. Search for your name alphabetically and your match will next to yours. You will also receive a letter that day containing your match's questionnaire and further instructions. Remember, this is your soul mate and your future! Take care, hope you are having a nice day.

Signed,

**Anthony B. Woodman  
Department Of Magical Marriages**

Hermione finished reading her letter and looked up. Ron and Harry were still reading, Ginny was holding hers away from her in disgust, and Fred and George held theirs smirking.

When they were all done Ginny looked at her mother with sad eyes. "What if I'm not allowed to marry Harry?"

"Dear, I'm sure they'll let you and Harry stay together. Harry is family. If they try to break up this family they will have to face me." She looked around as if to see if anyone wanted to challenge her. Nobody did, of course.

Harry blushed at Mrs. Weasley's announcement. He always knew he was their family, but he liked to hear it anyways.

Ginny sighed before grabbing Hermione's hand and pulling her up the stairs.

"We are going to discuss this in private and full out this damned questionnaire."

When they got to her room, Ginny slammed the door and put a silencing charm on the room. She collapsed onto her bed in tears.

"Gin, what's wrong?" Hermione hurried over to her and put an arm over her shoulders.

"I j-just d-don't w-want t-t-to be s-sep-seperated f-from Harry!"

"Ginny. Look at me." Ginny turned and looked in her eyes. "They will NOT separate you two. If they try I will kill them. And I mean it." Hermione wasn't a violent person. But when it came to Ginny, her best friend, she would be as protective as she had to be. She reached behind her for the questionnaire.

"Well. We'd better get this done."

Ginny took hers out as well and settled on the floor with a quill between her teeth.

Department Of Magical Marriages Matching Questionnaire

To choose the correct match for you, we ask you to answer these questions with complete honesty.

Hermione read the questions and started to answer.

**1. How many serious relationships have you been in?**  
One.  
**2. Who were the persons involved in said relationships?**  
Eric Wood.

Yes, Hermione had been in a relationship with Oliver Wood's younger brother, Eric. He was in third year when they were in first. They began dating when he was in sixth year and she was in third. It was a good relationship, but had ended when Eric graduated Hogwarts. Other than that, Hermione had never seriously dated or been with anybody.

The rest of the questions were everything from her favorite genre of music, to her favorite food. She answered them as honestly as she could, willing herself to get a good partner. Someone she may actually grow to love. Her only fear was that she would end up with someone dreadful like Malfoy, or someone like a brother, such as Ron.

The party for Charlie went as planned that evening. The house and gardens were full to the bursting with people and food. Remus and Kingsley were there, along with a few of Mr. Weasley's Ministry friends. Charlie had invited a few friends from Romania, including a sweet, dark haired girl named Clare, who upon entering was noticed to be holding hands with Charlie and sporting a rather large diamond on her left hand. During the middle of dinner, Charlie stood up, pulling Clare with him.

"Everyone," He gestured, smiling warmly at his family and friends, "We, that is to say, Clare and I, are going to be married!" He held up her hand to show them the ring. Mrs. Weasley burst into tears on her way around the large table to hug her son. Fred and George beamed at each other, no doubt plotting something, and the rest of the table clapped and congratulated the pairing. The only person who didn't look too happy was Ron, who sat with a. Mouthful of cornbread frowning at his plate.

Hermione spent the rest of the week at the burrow, filling out all 200 questions and taking walks. She talked with Ginny and attempted to play chess with Harry (she had never been good at chess, and Harry won, of course.).

They all mailed their questionnaires together that following Tuesday. There was a collective holding of breath as the owls disappeared over the horizon. They didn't know what to expect.

On Wednesday the names of the matches were, as promised, printed in The Prophet. They gathered around the table in the kitchen, Mrs. Weasley holding the paper, motioning for them to sit down.

"All right you lot. This is your future here I'm holding in my hands. Are you ready?"

They all nodded.

"Right. Let's see. Harry Potter.. You are to be matched with..." she traced her finger across the page, "Ginny Weasley. Excellent."

Harry and Ginny sighed together. She kept up and hugged him tightly before kissing him soundly on the lips. When they hadn't broken away after a minute Fred poked them and said- "Oi. You two. Break it apart or take it to the bedroom. We don't need to see that."

Harry and Ginny broke apart, Harry grinning sheepishly. Tense laughter filled the room as Mrs. Weasley searched for another name.

"Alright.. George, it seems that you have been paired with Angelina Johnson."

George smirked, obviously happy with his luck.

"Percy, you've been paired with Penelope Clearwater." she said, smiling at the oldest son there.

"Ah, good." Said Percy, pompously. "I must owl her at once." And he exited the room, chest puffed out proudly.

"Now, Ron, you seem to have been paired with.. Oh! That's unexpected. Ron, you've been paired with Cho Chang."

Harry and Ron looked at each other. Harry smirked, holding Ginny around the waist.

"Good luck with that one, mate."  
Ron punched him on the arm.

"Now. For Hermione. You've been paired with.. Oh my! Fred Weasley!"

She looked up in surprise.

**A/n: Sorry for the cliffhanger.. Just kidding, no I'm not. *evil grin*  
So how did you like it? Reviews are always welcome! I'll have another chapter up soon!**


	3. The Ministry Has Screwed Us Over Again

**The Circumstances Of Crossing Paths:  
**  
A/n: So I'm currently in study center because I don't have an exam this period. I figure that since I don't have an exam, now would be a good time to write. Yes? :) So, how are you liking my story so far? Reviews are always appreciated! Here you go, chapter three!

Chapter three: The Ministry Screwed Us Over Again.

Fred's mouth dropped open in surprise.

"Hermione?" He looked at her as if surveying he for the first time. It wasn't that she wasn't beautiful, it's just he had never thought of her in that sense. Now that he had been paired with her, he'd have to start seeing her like that.

Hermione tilted her head to the side. "Well," she thought, "it could be worse."

Mrs. Weasley stumbled over her words as she stared at the pair.  
"It says that your letters will be arriving shortly, and that when you get them you are to read them and follow the instructions. All right. Off you go." she waved them away.

Fred came up behind Hermione.

"'Mione, could I have a word with you in private, please?"

Hermione consented and Fred led her out to the gardens. The pairing walked together awkwardly down the tree lane, neither wanting to speak first.

"Look," Fred started, stopping under a tree, "I think we can make this work. I mean, we're friends right? We could make it work as friends? What ever you wish, I suppose..." He trailed off.

Hermione stared at her feet, not sure of what to say.

"I think we should see what our letters say, first. Maybe we just have to put on the act of a couple."

Fred nodded and the two walked back towards the Burrow.

The rest of the morning and the early afternoon were spent lazing about the house. George had gone off to meet Angelina, Percy and Mr. Weasley back to The Ministry, and Ginny and Harry on a walk. The only three people left in the house were Hermione, Molly, and Fred.

Hermione lay in her shared bedroom with Ginny finishing a muggle book she had gotten whilst on holiday. It was a very good book, about a fantasy land called Middle Earth, and it's struggles about a group of characters called "The Fellowship Of The Ring." It was the first in a series of three, and she found it very much to her liking.

She had just gotten up to stretch when there was a tap on the window. A large grey owl was perched on the window, letter tied to its leg, waiting for entrance. When she let it in, it dropped the letter on her bed and took off again.

She took a deep breath before examining it. The envelope was made of thick parchment, addressed in purple ink to a "Miss Hermione Granger, 3d floor Bedroom, The Burrow, Ottery St. Catchpole." She ripped open the ministry seal and unfolded it. It read as so:

Miss Granger,

This morning you should have seen your match in The Daily Prophet. However, if you have not, your match is mister Frederick Weasley. Congratulations.

Here are the further instructions surrounding your pairing. Firstly, The Ministry has taken to it that these matches are to be made permanent and official, therefore there is to be no changing of pairings. Also, there is to be a bond shared between the two. This bond will make it impossible to have an affair with another, be separated for long periods of time, and abstain from relations. These measures have been out into place to ensure happiness, longevity, and reproduction during the course of your relationship.

You must marry your betrothed within the year! That means that from this day you have precisely seven months and four days to be wed. You must also consummate your marriage. Whether you choose to do this before or after your wedding does not matter. But you must consummate your marriage. Finally, you must contact your match within 3 days of opening this letter. If not, the side effects of the bond will commence.

The bond shared between pairs is to ensure maximum potential for reproduction.

We wish you luck on your endeavors in your new relationship.

Anthony B. Woodman  
Department Of Magical Marriages

She finished reading and sat down on her bed. The only problem with the whole ordeal is the consummation part. Not that Hermione was scared of sex, even though she was a virgin, she was just afraid of sex with Fred. She'd always been "friends" with him, but never really thought of them as any more. But, apparently, she'd have to start. Slumping against the wall, Hermione closed her eyes and fell asleep.****

A/n: so sorry this is short! I'll be putting another out soon enough, I promise! *kisses*

Also, thank you so much to those who've alerted, reviewed, favorited, or even just read my story. It means a lot to me, truly.


	4. What Is Going On?

**The Circumstances Of Crossing Paths:**

A/n: because I've been torturing you lot with cliffhangers and updating slowly, I'm putting out another chapter this week. Woo! Xoxo

Dementres: George got Katie. It's in chapter 2  
  
**Chapter Four: What is going on?**

Hermione awoke the next morning to find Ginny shaking her roughly.

"Whatttt?" she mumbled, glancing at the clock. It was 6 am.

"I have something to tell you!"

Hermione sat up and stretched her arms, wiping the sleep out of her eyes. She yawned. "What? So important it couldn't wait?"

"Well," said Ginny, blushing, "yes." she held out her left hand.

Hermione gasped in surprise. "When did this happen? And why am I the only one not getting a ring?"

The ring on Ginny's finger was comprised of a small, white diamond surrounded by smaller blue diamonds. They were set on a silver band. It was beautiful, breathtaking, in fact.

Not that Hermione wanted a ring from Fred at that very moment, she was still getting used to the fact that they had to be a couple, but she did truly want one. She wanted to be settled down with a family. Security and happiness were her priorities. After the adventures of the last few years, she was ready for calm.

Ginny sat on the bed next to Hermione. She noticed that Ginny's bed was still made. Her evening had obviously been spent with Harry.

"Well," she said, smoothing out her already smooth sheets, "He asked me to take a walk. We went down into the gardens. And you know, in the middle, where the cherry blossom tree is?" she paused to let Hermione nod. "Well, he kissed me there. And then he got down on one knee, and said 'I love you more than anybody I've ever met. You are the one I was meant for. I hate that it took me so long to see it. So, I'm not wasting anymore time.' then he pulled out this black box and opened it. Of course I said yes, he's my Harry." she finished with a smile.

Hermione glanced out the window towards the garden. "That's lovely Gin. Congratulations." She hugged her friend.

"Mione, will you be my maid of honour?"

Hermione grinned. "Of course I will!"

The two giggled as they made their way down to breakfast.

When they entered the kitchen, Mrs. Weasley was already bustling around, cooking everything imaginable. There were three people already at the table. Mr. Weasley, reading The Daily Prophet, Percy, buttering his toast, and Fred, drinking from a mug of tea. He looked up and smiled when he saw her.

It was obvious that Harry and Ron were having a lie in, and wouldn't be down for hours. George had already gone to open the shop. The twins planned on moving into the flat above their shop as soon as it was done being renovated. The building was older, and had been partially destroyed when Death Eaters ripped through Diagon Alley. It was being fixed, good as new. The last thing to be done was the flat.

The girls sat down at the table, Ginny digging into a plate full of sausages and toast. Hermione wasn't too hungry, and only filled a chipped mug with tea. She had no idea what was on her agenda for the day, but she assumed she would be with Ginny or the boys, or possibly with Fred. When he finished his tea and toast, he brushed past her on the way to dress. He left a note in front of her. Everyone was too busy eating, or talking, or reading to pay any attention. She unfolded the note under the table-

'Mione,  
Meet me at the white bench at the end of the tree corridor at 8. I'd like to speak with you.  
Love,  
Fred.

She smiled and slipped the note in her pocket. She'd have to shower and fix her hair before she went. Finishing her tea, she ran upstairs to do so.

-

At 7:59 Hermione made her way down the straight row of trees to the wrought iron bench sitting between the pathways. Fred was waiting for her. He looked surprisingly handsome in a pair of blue jeans and Chudly Canons t-shirt that clashed horribly with his hair. Hermione was taken aback by her thought. Fred? Handsome? Laughable, that thought.

He smiled and stood as she approached.

"'Moine, glad you came. Have a seat." He gestured towards the bench and sat next to her.

"So.. I guess we have a lot to talk about." He was wringing his hands. "About this whole marriage thing. If you don't want to- I mean, I know we're friends and we hardly know each other, and-" Hermione cut him off by placing her small hands on his.

"Fred, it's okay. We really have no choice in this, so let's just make the best of it, okay? We should probably just get to know each other first."

"Good thing I brought some Firewhiskey." He smiled sheepishly as he lifted the bottle from inside his jacket.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "It's only eight in the morning."

"What, you can't drink now?"

"Fred. It's Only. Eight. In. The. Morning."

"Well, fine then. Meet me back here later this evening? I can't exactly go into the shop drunk, now can I?" He laughed. "How about eight this evening?"

Hermione nodded, standing and smoothing her skirt. The two walked back into the burrow where they met a very sleepy looking Ron and Harry before Fred disapperated. There was quite a commotion inside the tiny kitchen, as Mrs. Weasley had spotted the ring on Ginny's finger. Her squeals of excitement had been heard by Harry and Ron, who came down, curious of what all of the fuss was about.

The rest of the day was spent with Mrs. Weasley and Ginny preparing for the wedding. They had set the date for two months in the future, August 24th. Mrs. Weasley planned to have another big dinner to celebrate her daughter's engagement. She began cooking immediately, and the house was soon full of the aroma of potatoes and soups and cooking meat.

About an hour before everyone was to arrive for dinner, Hermione stole into the gardens. She walked through the hedge maze until she came about a lovely fountain. It was overgrown with ivy, almost obscuring the intricately carved faces on the head. There was a shallow pool surrounding it, just deep enough for Hermione to soak her ankles. The summer was already hot, and everyone was fairly miserable. The best place for anyone to stay was in the Weasley's "refrigerator" which was just an old fashioned building filled with ice blocks behind The Burrow.

The sun was low on the horizon as Hermione made her way back to the house for dinner. There was no room in the house for everyone Mrs. Weasley had invited, so they were eating in the garden. Fred and George were busy levitating tables and chairs outside. George gave her a wink, before directing her over to Mrs. Weasley for instruction. There, she was handed silverware and plates.

When everyone arrived and sat down, Harry pulled Ginny up and made their announcement. Everyone clapped and congratulated the couple. Once again, Ron looked sullen as he stared at his plate. After everyone had had second and third helpings of everything, Mrs. Weasley brought out her homemade strawberry cobbler and vanilla icecream. It was delicious.

After everyone had finished, they all sat around chatting. Fred excused himself, and headed towards the bench. Hermione waited a few minutes before following his lead. She spotted him sprawled on the bench, staring off into space, A lit cigarette hung from his mouth. She joined him silently. He looked at her and smiled.

"It's a full moon tonight." He stood, put out his cigarette, and held his hand out to her. She took it and followed him blindly, once again. He led her to the middle of the garden-maze, where the white tree was surrounded by fairy-light candles. They sat down under it, Fred producing a bottle of Firewhiskey and two shot glasses.

"Alright," he said, looking at her. "We're going to play a game. We'll take turns asking each other questions. If you don't want to answer the question, you take a shot. Simple enough, yeah?"

Hermione smiled at the idea. She hadn't played a drinking game in a long time. After the war she had become a bit reckless like everyone else. Partying until dawn, etc. But she hadn't done anything like this for months. She hadn't even seen this side of Fred before. Tonight he seemed less like the jokester she knew, and more down to earth and brooding. He poured them each a shot.

"You start." He looked at her expectantly.

She thought for a moment. "What's your favorite colour?"

He smirked. "Green. Yours?"

"Violet."

"What's your favourite food?"

"Chocolate chip muffins. What do you miss most about Hogwarts?"

"All of the lovely young ladies. Just kidding." He thought for a moment. "The astronomy tower. I'd go up there at night to think. How many boys have you been with?"

Hermione took a shot. Fred smirked. "How many girls have you been with?"

Fred grimaced, taking a shot.

Their game continued, the questions getting deeper and more personal until both were sufficiently impaired. The bottle of firewhiskey was empty, and they lay side by side looking at the stars. The only light came from the fairy-lights and the moon. Fred moved his hand on top of Hermione's. She took it willingly. He turned on his side to look at her. He then realized how beautiful she actually was. Her body had soft curves, the kind he'd never noticed before, but now took time to appreciate. He leaned over to her and kissed her neck softly. She opened her eyes and looked at him startled.

He pulled back. "I'm sorry- I didn't mean to-"

She silenced him by kissing him soundly on the lips.

**A/n: So, I thought that maybe Fred should be more of a deep boy, covering up with a funny exterior? Or, he is that funny boy, but he's also a down to earth, sensitive boy? Yeah? I don't know, tell me what you think. Thanks for reading. Reviews are welcome. **


	5. A Bathtime Surprise

**The Circumstances Of Crossing Paths****  
**_  
__A/n: Hello! If you've not noticed, I don't really have a schedule for updating. I just kind of do it whenever. Sorry about that. But I really like this story, so I will finish. Pinky promise. I also apologize profusely for this ridiculous wait. Well, here you go.__  
__  
_**A Bathtime Surprise:**

Hermione awoke in a very curious position the next morning. She seemed to be laying on a blanket under a tree in the middle of the Weasley garden. But that wasn't all. Fred Weasley was laying next to her, fast asleep, with his arm slung around her waist.

Her hangover hit her like a ton of bricks. When she sat up, she covered her eyes gingerly from the glaring rays of the sun. It appeared to be sometime after 8 in the morning, but before 11. The two had finally fallen asleep after a vicious snogging session that only ended after Fred had passed out.

As the details of the former nights events flooded her mind, Hermione's blush deepened. She had kissed Fred. Not only had they kissed, but they had proceeded to full on making out. And Hermione had initiated it. Perhaps it was her drunkenness that made her do something like that, or perhaps she just really wanted to kiss him. The details of the night were fuzzy.

She pushed his arm off of her as she stood up, nearly falling in the process, and walked over to the nearest set of bushes, where she stuck her fingers down her throat and threw up all of the contents of her stomach. Not much was left, seeing as quite a bit of the alcohol had been absorbed into her blood stream. Er- make that all of the alcohol. She stumbled her way back over to Fred where she lightly nudged him with her foot.

"Fred." she said. "Fred." a little louder this time. "FREDERICK." she yelled.

He awoke, startled, and threw his arms over his eyes.

"The sun! I'm melting! I'm melting!" He dead panned.

"You're confusing vampire myths with The Wizard Of Oz."

"The Wizard Of What? What's an Oz?"

"Nevermind. Let's go back to the house. The sun's too bright."

The two stumbled and swerved their way back to The Burrow, only pausing a few times so Fred could throw up. He had a high tolerance for alcohol, but Firewhiskey was made to get you drunk in just two shots. They'd had a whole bottle.

After successfully making it back to their respective rooms unnoticed, they both collapsed into bed. Hermione slept until she was woken unceremoniously by Ginny, who had poked her in the middle of the forehead demanding to know where she was the previous night. George was a bit less kind to his twin. He knew where he had been, and he knew that he was hungover. And being the saint of a brother he was, he decided to set up a lovely contraption including loud noises and bright lights. Fred was less than amused.

For Hermione the day was spent sitting in her shared room with Ginny, basking in the breeze, and studying for her make up NEWT exams. Because of the war and the rebuilding of Hogwarts, the 7th years hadn't had a chance to finish school. Therefore, they had a chance to go back, receive instruction, and take their NEWT exams. The exams weren't until the next spring, but Hermione was Hermione, and she had to start now.

The school term was to begin, as always, on September first. The castle had been repaired to its previous glory by the Hogwarts staff, headed by Professor McGonagall. She had become an instrumental part in the repairs done to the school.

As the day slowly turned to afternoon, which slowly turned to night, Hermione fell into a comfortable doze over her textbooks. She was only awoken by a knocking on her window sometime past midnight. She jumped up when she saw the silhouette of said knocker. It was Fred. She creeped past Ginny's empty bed over to the window, and slowly lifted it open. Fred was grinning like a Cheshire cat back at her.

"Hey there." He murmured, taking in her slightly disheveled appearance.

Hermione nodded back in awe, vaguely wondering how he had managed to climb six stories on a broomstick and not be seen. He smirked at her.

"I'd like it if you would take a ride with me."

Hermione backed away from the window, shaking her head "no." He clambered in silently (years of experience), and took her hands, sitting her on he bed.

He looked into her eyes, searching. "I will not let you go. I will not let you fall. Trust me, 'Mione." He lifted her chin so she was looking at him. "Okay?"

She nodded in agreement, and he was grinning once again. "Good, let's go, shall we?" He held out his hand, and helped them both onto the broom before flying off into the warm summer night.

Soaring felt like nothing Hermione had ever felt before. Fred terrified her, dipping below the treetops, skimming the top of the pond, and swerving in and out of the goal hoops on the quidditch pitch. But she always felt safe. He whooped and yelled happily, even dipping his hands in the cool pond water. Hermione held on tight to him, squeezing his blue jumper between her white knuckled fingers. After a while, she opened her eyes. The wind on her face was was wonderful. She loosened her grip on Fred, even going so far as to touch the leaves when they ducked in and out of the trees.

Hermione awoke very early the next morning to the sound of floorboards creaking. The sun was just rising as Ginny inched her way carefully across to her bed.

"Gin, what are you doing?" Hermione yawned. Ginny nearly jumped out of her skin before turning to Hermione and blushing. "I was with Harry all night. I figured I should get back before mum wakes up."

Hermione giggled, raising her eyebrows. "You spent ALL night together?"  
Ginny blushed a deeper red. "Yes."  
Hermione giggled even harder, causing Ginny to sink down under her covers.  
"Go back to sleep, Hermione."

Hermione smirked, before rolling over once again and falling asleep.

"Wake up, sleepy head!" George nudged Hermione awake. "Yeah, Mione, wake up." Fred pushed her over, and jumped in bed beside her.  
Hermione squealed, pushing Fred off of the side of the bed. He stood up a moment later, rubbing his shoulder. "Ow." he muttered.  
George grinned in amusement at the two, before pulling Fred's arm and leading him out of the room. "Let Mione get dressed, we'll see her in a while."

Hermione sighed. They were strange boys, and she loved them both to death. She began to gather her bath things.  
Hermione loved taking warm baths. In her opinion, they were better than showers, definitely. Although, showers could be lovely in their time. She began to fill the large tub in Ginny and the twin's adjoining bathroom, adding a fair amount of bubbles. It was still early, only 9 am, and Harry and Ron weren't awake yet. She had plenty of time to take a leisurely bath.  
She undressed, and sank into the foamy warmth. The water felt good on her sore limbs after her late night adventure. She felt her eyelids getting heavy and sank lower.. And lower into the bubbles..

"FRED! WHAT DID YOU NEED, AGAIN?" A loud voice jolted Hermione awake. She looked around her. The bubbles from the bath had gone, and the water was considerably cooler. She had just climbed out and was about to grab her towel when the door burst open and in walked Ron, yelling over his shoulder.  
"OKAY, FRED I'LL GET IT."  
He looked forward to see a very surprised, shocked, and naked Hermione standing before him. Hermione could feel his eyes raking over her body. Her supple, perky breasts, and down lower, lower, to her womanhood. he drank in the sight of her with wide eyes, before grabbing a small blue bag off of the counter, and backing slowly out of the room, muttering "Sorry..."

_A/n: Again, I apologize profusely for the long wait. Another chapter will be out ASAP. And when I say "ASAP" I mean like, three days. Because this was short, and I really didn't know how to end it.__SOOOOO... Y'all know the drill. Review, follow, favorite, whatever. I mean.. If you want. It's always appreciated :)_


	6. An Assault Of Snogging

_**The Circumstances Of Crossing Paths**__****_

_**A/n: I just want to say a big thank you if you're reading this. It means so much to me to know that people are reading my stories. A half hour after I updated, there were already 306 hits! So thank you all. Anyways... Chapter 6. I promised, didn't I? Enjoy ~**__****_

_**An Assault Of Snogging:**_

The next few weeks were... Awkward, to say the least. Seeing Hermione naked had changed Ron for the worse. At first, he was simply embarrassed. Whenever he saw her he would turn bright red and come down with a coughing fit. That lasted for about a week.

The next week he became simply creepy. He would be in whatever room Hermione was in, and would find ridiculous excuses to talk to her. She would catch him staring at her at inappropriate moments, and felt the uncomfortable weight of his eyes at all times.

Needless to say, she hadn't told Fred or Ginny about the situation. They didn't even notice a difference in Ron. Or, if they did, they didn't say anything about it.

Hermione tried to brush off the uncomfortables feeling and push on with her responsibilities. They were set to go to Diagon Alley that day, and she didn't want anything to ruin it.

-

Diagon Alley was an enormous bustle of activity on August 13th. Hermione, Harry, and the Weasley's had all received their supply lists, and it seemed that everyone else had, too. Hermione looked down at the list in her hands, deciding which shop to go in first, when she was interrupted by Mrs. Weasley deciding for her.

They all trooped in to Flourish and Blotts, school lists in hand, and wandered off between the stacks to find their supplies.

Hermione had just picked out a thick volume called Transfiguration In Today's Wizarding Society (by Arty Manchester), when Ron came around the corner, a purposeful look on his face.

"Hermione.." He leaned against the bookshelf, accidentally knocking a few books off of it.  
Hermione smiled at her book. "Classy, Ronald. What do you need?"  
She closed the book, put it in her bag, and pulled another one off of the shelf. Suddenly, she found that her back was against the hard book spines, her wrists encased by Ron's rough hands, above her head.

"Ron, what are you doing?!" Hermione shrieked, trying to wriggle free. She could smell his breath on her face.

"Hermione, I love you, I always have. Please, give me a chance."

He pressed his lips roughly against hers, trying to work out a response. Hermione struggled, lifting her knee to nudge him in the stomach, but he wouldn't budge. She turned her head, gasping for breath, whimpering for him to get off.

"Mione please, give me a chance! I love you!"

She stamped on his foot, eliciting a string of swear words from Ron. Hermione took the moment of his distraction, tripping over a pile of books in the process of getting away. She ran down the aisles, Ron chasing after her, shouting her name. Fred peeked out of one section, George out of the other, and in unison they both asked "What's going on?"

Hermione panted for breath, ducking behind Fred. "Ron- tried- kiss me."

Fred quickly stiffened. "What?"

Hermione was doubled over, clutching her knees. "Ron- he tried to kiss me. I couldn't move, so I stamped on his foot. I tripped over some books and ran over here."

Both of the twins stared at Ron with murderous glares. They advanced on him, backing him into a corner.

"Ron. You have Cho. Why would you try to kiss her, she's mine!" Fred looked ready to kill him.

"After I saw her that day in the bathroom, I knew I needed her! Cho and I have nothing, I love Hermione!"

"What day in the bathroom?" George questioned.

"One day, a few weeks ago, I accidentally walked in on 'Mione when she was in the bath." Hermione shrank into the corner.

"You. What?" Fred raised his fist, ready to strike Ron.

"I'm sorry!" Ron stammered, trying to find an escape. Fred's fist collided with Ron's jaw, causing an uproar from George and Hermione. Ron was knocked to the floor, a dazed look on his face, clutching his chin. Fred attempted to hit him again, but a collective force of Hermione and George stopped him.  
"No- Fred- STOP" Hermione pushed on his chest.

Fred sank to the floor. "Hermione. You're mine. He can't have you. I'm.. I'm sorry." He hurried from the shop.

_****__**A/n: wow.. Really not happy with this update. I just.. Ugh. Not my best work. But please review, favorite, follow... I love you!**_


	7. Comfort And Shouting

_**The Circumstances Of Crossing Paths**__****_

_**A/n: Sorry for the short chapter, last time. Here's a new one... Enjoy. ~**__****_

_**Comfort and Shouting:**__**  
**_  
Hermione was many things in that moment, and happy was not one of them. Fred hadn't turned up after they went to Flourish and Blott's, so the whole family assumed he had been living in the flat above their shop. Nobody could contact him. Ron had also been distant from everyone, sporting a large purple bruise on the side of his mouth. Mrs. Weasley was less than pleased with him.

With less than a month to go before everyone was back at Hogwarts, the excitement in the air was palpable. When August 31 came around, George made an announcement that Fred was living in their new shop in Hogsmeade village, and that he didn't want to speak with anyone. Hermione was less than pleased with that.

She wished more than anything to put the whole incident behind her as she packed her trunk for their return. She was just straightening a stack of new books when a knock came at her door.

"Who is it?"

"Me, Harry."

"Come in!"

She placed a few pairs of folded socks on top of her books, and closed the trunk. Harry came in and sat on the floor next to her bed, motioning for her to join. She obliged, placing her head on his shoulder.

"I've spoken to Ron." He muttered, absentmindedly stroking her hair. "He's very sorry. He's not sure what came over him, seeing as he barely remembered the situation." He took a deep breath. "I think Malfoy did something to him."  
Hermione rolled her eyes. "He was in the shop! I saw him! We walked right past him. He could have easily done something to him!"

Hermione sat up straight. "Harry. These ridiculous Malfoy theories are getting out of hand."

"I was right about him being a death eater, wasn't I?"

"Well... Yes."

"So how do you know I might not be right about this?" He pulled Hermione back to him.

She sighed. "I don't know Harry. I'm really not in the mood to theorize about Malfoy." Harry began to stroke her hair again.

"I'm sorry, Mione. It's okay, Fred will come back, don't worry."

She weeded silently into his shoulder.

-

The next day, everyone was all packed up and ready to go by 10 am. They were planning on apparating together into an alley next to Kings Cross, and then going to Platform 9 3/4.

The platform was crowded with people, animals, and trunks. Students were milling about in their Hogwarts robes and plain clothes, biding their time until they had to get on the train.

The Trio and Ginny made their way into a compartment, successfully pushing past the masses. Neville and Luna were already there, having a silent conversation in the corner. Luna looked up when Harry walked in.

"Hello Harry Potter!" She said, dreamily.

"Hello Luna. Did you have a good summer?" they all took their seats, Harry in between Ron and Hermione.

"Yes." Luna replied, leaning forward, "It was quite nice. Neville came on holiday with me to The Canary Islands. It was a beautiful place."

"That's lovely, Luna."

Hermione pulled out a large book, leaving the others to their conversations. From what she heard while reading, Neville had moved out of his grandmothers house, and planned on having Luna move in with him over the Christmas Holiday. At some point during the journey, Ginny wandered in, and sat on Harry's lap. The two proceeded to begin kissing, which caused Ron to issue a small noise of disgust. In Hermione's opinion, he had nothing to be disgusted about except his own behavior.

When the Hogwarts Express slowed to a stop, and left its students to the platform, Hermione, Harry, Ginny, and Ron joined Luna, Seamus, Dean, and Neville in a carriage up to the school. When it finally came into view, it looked magnificent. Lights were glittering from the windows, reflecting off of The Black Lake, and the castle looked as good as new. Hermione saddened when she saw the white tomb at the edge of the lake. Hogwarts may be home, but it wasn't the same without Dumbledore.

The Great Hall was packed to the brim with Hogwarts students, every one excited to be back. Harry silently pointed out Malfoy at the Slytherin table, looking significantly better than he had the years before. His skin was no longer greyish, but a brilliant tan. His hair was as blonde as ever. He looked happy and healthy. Hermione was happy for him.

As everyone settled in and the first years were sorted, Hermione felt the happiest she'd been in a long time. She belonged here. The only thing that was missing was Fred.

After they had all eaten as much as possible, Professor MacGonagall stood up to make her speech.

"Good evening! I'm happy to see you all here. I assume you are all aware of the marriage law that was passed earlier this summer. Because of that, there has been a change in housing. Seventh and Eighth years are permitted to live with their betrothed. To see your new housing situation, please check the board outside of The Great Hall. I hope everyone has a fantastic year! Good night!"

There was a mad rush of students to get to the board to see their new housing arrangements. The scraping benches created a deafening cacophony, and in the process, trampled a few first years.

When Hermione got to the bored, she saw that she was still in Griffyndor tower, and still in the same room as before, but she was also accompanied by Harry and Ginny. This was concerning, seeing as Harry and Ginny seemed to have no care where they had sex, they just did it everywhere.

She walked with Harry and Ginny through the familiar corridors to the tower. When they got to their room, they discovered that the inside had been magically enlarged to contain two bedrooms and an adjoining bathroom. Each room contained a bed, a wardrobe, and a desk. There was a Smaller version of a common room outside of both.

The three collapsed into the chairs in their own common room. A fire had been lit in the hearth, and it was decorated with the traditional Gryffindor colors. After a little while of conversation, Ginny and Harry excused themselves to go to bed. Hermione have Harry a smirk as Ginny led him into the room. Hermione stayed up well past midnight, reading a few of the new books she had picked up. When her eyes got heavy, she put them away and went to bed.

Early the next morning, Hermione awoke to raised voices outside of her room. It seemed that someone was trying to get in, but Ginny and Harry wouldn't let them. Hermione threw on her dressing gown and went to investigate.

Upon opening her door, she found a very angry Ginny being soothed by Harry, and Ron, who was apparently trying to see Hermione.

"What's going on?"

"This git was trying to see you. But I won't let him, not after what he tried last time." Ginny advanced toward Ron.

"I wasn't trying to do anything! I promise! I was just trying to tell her I was sorry!"

"Sorry? This is all of your fault, Ronald. Sorry doesn't cover it." Ginny spat in his general direction.

"Ron," Hermione managed to squeak out, "I think you'd better leave."

"If that's what you want..."

"I do."

"Oh. Okay. I'll be leaving, then."

Ginny slammed the door after him.

"The NERVE of him. Trying to see your I won't let him! You're with Fred and he has Cho. Besides, the letters SAID you weren't to be able to cheat!"

Harry piped up. "So how did he do it, then?"

Hermione furrowed her brow. "I.. Have no idea. I'd better go to the-"

She was cut off by Harry and Ginny.

"-Library. We know."

_**A/n: Ah, the dreaded filler chapters. I hate them. I hate writing them. But ANYWAYS, how was that? Can you guys guess what's up? Hmmmmm? Because I ACTUALLY have no idea. I got a review a few days ago saying that my plot seemed well thought out. TO BE HONEST I HAVE THE ROUGHEST IDEA. I actually have no clue where this is going. Anyways... Review? Favorite? Follow? :) I'll give you a banana if you do!**_


	8. A Surprise Visit

_**The Circumstances Of Crossing Paths**_

_**A/n: Hello! I'm back for a new chapter. Are you ready? Lovely! Go go go!**_

_**Krystal214: I'm so happy, I could kiss you. Yes, I know Draco being the bad guy is a bit tired, so, he is not. But let's just let Harry think that he is. ;D Being HARRY POTTER, he would :p**_

_**Surprisingly, I've already thought about quite a few of your ideas, and I LOVE that you picked up on some of them. Clever girl. We'll just see which one I try to incorporate... Shall we? :)**_

_**This chapter is dedicated to Krystal214 for her fantastic review, and CocoRocks for reviewing every chapter!**_

_**A Surprise Visit:**_

The library yielded surprisingly little information. Hermione wandered through the towering shelves, picking out any book that looked to have a remote connection to her topic of research. There were quite a few books on Binding Magic, but they all seemed to be checked out.

Over the next few weeks, Hermione began to feel very tired all of the time. She experienced strong senses of longing and loneliness that only intensified over time. She missed Fred. She missed talking to him, and she had no idea where he was. She chalked all of these symptoms up to the bond. The letter had said that they would feel like this... And that it would only get worse as their bond got stronger..

She was laying in bed one evening, staring at the intricate patterns that were etched in the window panes, when she heard the creak of a floorboard behind her. She jumped, startled, and turned to see none other than Fred Weasley staring at her. He looked quite unwell. He was even more pale than usual, and he looked much thinner. Hermione rushed over to hug him.

"What are you doing here?" she whispered.

"I had to see you. I'm sorry, if you want me to leave."

Hermione hugged him again. "No, no. Stay. How did you get in? Where were you? Why didn't you want to see me?"

Fred smirked down at her, then sat on her bed. "I may not have The Marauder's Map anymore, but I still remember where the passages are." He took a deep breath. "I was setting up the shop in Hogsmeade. I didn't get very far, though. George found me a few days ago passed out on top of a few boxes. Seemed I'd passed out from not eating. I hadn't even realized I'd not been eating. I was embarrassed to see you after what had happened. I didn't know if you had lingering feelings for Ron, or if you wanted to see me after I hit him."

Hermione layer her head against his shoulder. "I've been exhausted without you. I've missed you so much. You don't need to be embarrassed, I'm not angry. And no.. No, I don't have any feelings for Ron. That was over a long time ago." he smiled down at her, and kissed her forehead.

"Good. Mind if I stay the night? I don't really feel like sneaking about the castle tonight."

"Who are you and what have you done with Fred Weasley?"

Fred laughed. "Nothing, I'm just exhausted."

The two climbed into bed, drifting off into an easy sleep.

Hermione awoke the next morning feeling very hot. Her whole body was warm. Possibly from being pressed against a man all night long, but there was something else. There was energy. She was humming with it.

One problem was.. She could barely move. Fred had his arm slung around her waist, and his head on her chest. She tried to wriggle away fro him, but he just let out a loud grunt and pulled her closer.

She looked at his face. So peaceful in sleep, she remembered the time he nearly died during the war. It was a near miss moment. If he had been half of an inch to the right he would have died. She hadn't known it then, but she would have been so lonely without him.

There was something still rumbling in the back of her mind, though. How in the world was Ron able to break the bond magic? Hermione had a burst of realization. If he could find whoever had checked out all of the books on said topic, she could research it, and find whether or not the bond was faulty! If the bond was faulty, they could take it to The Ministry, and Ron could be Re-matched.

She pushed on Fred's arm. "Fred. Fred wake up." she pushed a little harder. "Freeeeed. Wake uuuuup."

He groaned, stretching his arms. He looked up at her, a goofy grin in his face. "Morning, Mione." He seemed to have realized her predicament, and also that his head happened to be resting on her breasts. He blushed, before quickly siting up, and grabbing his pants. "What time is it?" He mumbled, stifling a yawn.

"A little after six. We'd better get you out of here before people begin to wake up."

The two dressed, and Hermione stole a few pieces of toast from The Great Hall before leading Fred back to his passage. He kissed her lightly on the forehead.

"I'll come and visit you soon, okay? And come to Hogsmeade next weekend, I'll show you the shop."

They shared a tight hug before he disappeared into the darkness. She missed him already.

_**A/n: Awhhhhh seems as if our little Hermione is falling in love. Sorry for the semi filler chapter. I will have a more drama filled chapter up ASAP. And.. Oh. Do I see lemons in our future? YOU NEVER KNOW. *mysterious glance***_

_**Review, follow, favorite!**_

_**And once again, thank you to everyone who has done so so far! You guys make me so happy.**_


	9. The Library

**The Circumstances Of Crossing Paths**

_A/n: You all deserve to hate me for abandoning you. But I still love you._

Chapter 9: The Library

Hermione wandered back to her common room, curled into a ball, and fell asleep. She was awoken a few minutes later by a light tapping at the window. A small owl bobbed above the sill. She let it in, and it dropped a letter at her feet before perching itself on her bed frame.

Hermione-

Come work for George and I. We could use the extra help on the weekends. We'll be setting up shop in Hogsmeade 2 weeks from now. I hope to see you before then.  
Yours,  
Fred.

She smiled, folding the letter and placing it under her pillow. An excuse to be with Fred? Perfect. She drifted.

With the next Monday came the first snowfall. The cold, Scottish wind shrieked through the corridors, and students bundled themselves up tightly. The 7th years were now faced with the prospect of upcoming exams.

"Hermione, why are you revising already?" Ron looked up from his potions essay at the stack of Transfiguration notes in front of her.

"Because, Ronald, exams are less than a month away. You should be revising, too, seeing as you missed an entire year of school." She huffed, rearranging her notes. Ever since their previous encounter Ron had been trying to make up for it. Hermione wasn't budging. She didn't know what he was playing at, and she didn't care.

Shutting her books with a sigh, she traipsed off to the library. The common room was too noisy to focus, and she had a mission to complete.

There were various students in the library, huddled for warmth in corners, or around the multiple hearths. She rang the bell on Madam Pince's desk, and awaited the bird-like woman's help.

"May I help you?"

"Yes, I was wondering if you have any books on bond magic? There only seem to be a few. I thought perhaps the others had been checked out?"

"Of course we do. Let's see what I can find." The woman pulled out a records book and flipped to a recent page. "Yes, it seems almost all of those books have been checked out. They're due before the break, however."

"Thank you." Hermione turned to leave. "Er-" She turned back, "Would you mind telling me who checked them out?"

Madam Pince scanned the page. "A mister Seamus Finnagan, it seems."

Hermione crinkled her brow. "Thank you."

"What could Seamus want with bond magic books?" Hermione mulled over these thoughts as she wandered back to the common room, running into Draco Malfoy in the process.

"Watch where you're going, mudblood." He sneered.

"Trust me, Malfoy, I had no intention of dirtying your perfectly clean robes." She stalked off.

When Friday rolled around, Hermione had forgotten all about the bond magic books and was entirely focused on revising. She had drawn up study plans for both Harry and Ron, as she was concerned that they might actually fail their last year.

"Hermione.." Harry whined that evening. "You've got us down for sessions 4 times a week. When are we supposed to do our other homework?"

"On the other nights, of course. What else would you be doing?"

"I dunno," Ron chimed in, "having fun?"

Hermione laughed. "With whom?"

Ron scowled, looking back at his sheet. It was well known that he and Cho were not exactly a match made in heaven. While they were forced to spend time together or else feel the repercussions of the bond, they were not as... Involved as most couples. Harry and Ginny were a different story. The first thing they had done before coming back to Hogwarts was buy an engagement ring. Ginny now walked through the halls in all her sass sporting her very conspicuous diamonds. Needless to say, people were jealous.

Most people weren't as lucky to get matched with someone they already loved. The sixth and seventh years were even worse than normal hormonal teenagers due to the bond magic. Poor madam Pomfrey was having to extract students from all kinds of odd predicaments. Also, the number of students out of bed had skyrocketed. Professor MacGonagal had chosen to turn a blind eye here and there. But only with students who had already become engaged or married.

Quite a few students found the marriage law ludicrous, actively protesting and ending up in the hospital wing due to the side effects. Or maybe it was simply stress. One couldn't exactly tell with exams fast approaching.

Hermione dropped into bed, having no time to think as she fell soundly asleep. She was due to meet Fred the next day, and she didn't want ugly bags under her eyes. She was excited.

_A/n: There. A decently long chapter. Give me a few reviews, and I'll update soon. Don't give me any reviews, and I'll still update soon. Love you all. *kisses*_


	10. Weasley's Wizard Wheezes

**The Circumstances Of Crossing Paths**

_A/n: I accidentally asked my Jewish friend of he was ready for Christmas today. Oops. Anyways, have a new chapter._

__Chapter 10: Weasley's Wizard Wheezes

Hermione awoke to a crisp, cool Saturday morning. There was a thick layer of frost and snow covering the grounds. She slipped her feet into a pair of shoes, and headed to the bathroom.

Nobody was awake yet, as it was still early. She turned the knob on one of the shower stalls, sending a hot stream of lavender scented water onto the tile. Hermione stripped, stepping into the scalding water, letting it cascade over her breasts, her stomach, her bottom. She twisted another tap and a jet of mint water spewed out. The scents woke her up and relaxed her nerves at the same time. She was jittery and excited to visit the twins. The water soothed her as she stood under the streams, until she began to hear noises of other early risers. Shutting off the taps, she stepped out, wrapping a towel around herself and moving to the mirror to untangle her hair. Hermione applied a bit of potion to smooth the frizz before putting on a touch of mascara. She pulled o a pair of jeans and a sweater before bundling up in a rather large red coat and boots.

The great hall was sleepy when he entered. A few students were milling about here and there, visiting with others or studying with books propped against milk jugs. She walked to the Gryffindor table, spotting Ginny and pouring herself a cup of coffee.

"Morning, Gin."

Ginny stifled a yawn. "Mo- morning, Mione. Why are you up so early?"

Hermione buttered herself a piece of toast. "Visiting Fred and George in their shop. I could ask you the same thing."

Ginny reached across the table for a platter of sausages. "Harry has this ridiculous idea that it's a great day to go flying. I don't know why he wants to go out, it's fucking cold."

Hermione grunted in response. The two girls ate the rest of their breakfast in silence, until Harry came down a few minutes later to capture Ginny.

She managed to choke out "If I freeze to death, make sure to beat him for me.." Before being whisked away.

Hermione giggled into her coffee, taking her time to skim through The Daily Prophet before heading out.

The path to Hogsmeade was snow covered and definitely not sheltered from the wind. Snowflakes pounded against her face as she duh her hands deeper into her pockets. The village came into view and Hermione breathed a sigh of relief. She followed the directions Fred had given her before he left, stopping short in front of the ridiculously colored building before her. They had truly outdone themselves. The shop was nestled between Whinaker's Whimsical Wish Emporium (a children's toy shop) and a small book store. It was smaller than their other shop, but just as flamboyant. The color of the shop (a very sickly green) seemed to spill onto the snow, giving it the illusion of toxic waste. A "coming soon" sign sat in the window. She rolled her eyes before rapping in the door.

It swung open to reveal two very enthusiastic red-heads.

"Mione!" George started.  
"We weren't expecting you-"  
"Until later!"

"Well," she said, stepping inside and stamping her boots, "I'm here now."

"Right you are!" Fred pulled her up the stairs and into their flat, pushing her down onto a blue sofa and shoving a platter of biscuits into her hands.

"Tea's on!" George called from the kitchen.

"I've missed you." Fred whispered in her ear, kissing her lightly.

"I've missed you, too." She grabbed a biscuit. George returned a moment later with three mugs of tea.

"Drink up, you must be freezing."

"Now, now, mum. No need to pressure the poor girl." Fred teased his brother, earning him a smack on the head. Hermione giggled.

"So, Mione." George began. Fred sat back to watch Hermione sip her tea.

"We'd like to offer you a job in our shop. Work on Saturdays, whenever you can, and get whatever you want for free. Exams must be starting, so you can begin after the holiday. What do you think?"

"That'd be lovely!" She grinned. "But you two don't have to give me anything, I'll volunteer."

"Nonsense." Fred piped up. "By that time we'll be married, what's mine is yours."

Hermione blushed. She's forgotten about the first of the year deadline. Was it really so close? They'd barely seen each other all school year. They barely knew each other, how could they get married?

"Fred, don't be silly."

He leaned forward, looking into her eyes and grabbing her hands. "I'm serious, Hermione. What's mine is yours."

She grinned, kissing him soundly, eliciting gagging noises from George. "Thank you, Fred."

He brushed his lips over her knuckles. "Always, Mione."

He pulled her up. "C'mere, let me show you the shop."

_A/n: Awh._

_Review? :)_


	11. Dinner

_A/n: exams are next week. Wish me luck. Also, I apologize for grammar and spelling mistakes. I don't have a beta, and I hate proof reading.___

**Chapter 11: Dinner**

They led her down a flight of stairs in the back of the shop that came out in their workroom. Hermione's mouth dropped. The walls were lined with shelves, and the shelves were lined with colored bottles of all shapes and sizes. There were boxes and boxes covered in colorful paper crammed in corners, and trinkets on tables whizzing and tinkling about. A cauldron on a small desk had a green potion in it that was emitting a wonderfully sweet smell. The boys looked at her expectantly.

"This is wonderful." Hermione walked forward, brushing her fingers over a stack of wrapping paper. She. stopped when she got to the cauldron.

"New potion we're working on." Fred's voice came from behind her. He curled his hands around her waist.

"Makes the taster appear incredibly attractive to those around them. A bit like a love potion, but it doesn't make love. It just.."

"Aids in the process of finding it?"

"Exactly." Fred murmured into her hair. She hadn't noticed George leave. He kissed her neck softly, turning her to face him.

"Do you like it?"  
He stated at her through his lashes, blue eyes smoldering.

"I love it." Hermione's breath caught in her throat as Fred crushed his lips against hers. She knew how much the shop meant to him, and she could feel how proud he was.

His lips moved against hers, molding to their shape. He bit softly on her lower lip, and she allowed his tongue entrance with a soft moan. She deepened the kiss, hopping up onto the workbench and wrapping her legs around his waist. They stayed like that for a few minutes, until they broke apart with an "umf" when George coughed from the doorway.

"Er." An amused grin spread across his face. "Shall I come back?"

Fred picked up a rubber wand and chucked it at him. George ducked before chuckling and backing out of the doorway.

Fred turned back to Hermione and leaned against her forehead. "I was hoping you'd have dinner with me tonight. There's a nice place down the street we could go."

"Okay." She whispered, pulling him into her in a tight hug.

-

The rest of the day was spent moving boxes and setting up displays. George wasted no time teasing the couple, earning more than just rubber wands to the head in the process. At seven o'clock Fed and Hermione departed, strolling down the snow covered Hogsmeade streets to the restaraunt.

It was a small place with red tablecloths and candles as the centerpiece. Very romantic and intimate. The two sat in a corner table, ordering a bottle of white wine and bread.

"So, Hermione. What do you plan on doing after you graduate?"

She took a sip of her wine as she considered the question. "I'm not too sure. Working for the ministry is always an option, but seeing as I don't want to be a part of intruding in people's lives, I don't know anymore. Perhaps I'll open my own shop."

Fred raised his eyebrows. "What kind of shop would that be?"

"A bookstore, of course. Maybe a coffee bar. It would be nice to spend my time there."

"George and I could help you if you want us to."

"It's only a dream." She said, placing her hand over his.

"It doesn't have to be."

When their food arrived, they ate in silence, only commenting on how good it was. When they finished, Fred took her back to his flat. George was nowhere to be found.

They stamped their boots off, Hermione sitting on the couch while Fred lit a fire. He sat next to her, putting his arm behind her back.

"Do you think we can have a good marriage?" Hermione mused aloud.

Fred kissed her forehead. "Of course we can. I love you, Hermione. It won't be a loveless marriage, at least not for me."

She looked at him, kissing him softly. "Me either. I love you, too."

Fred grinned, taking her face in his hands and kissing her soundly.

"In that case," He rose, striding over to the mantel and taking a small box off if it, "Will you marry me?"

He slid onto one knee. Hermione gasped, nodding profusely. "Yes! Of course I will!"

Fred slipped the small ring onto her finger, before picking her up and twirling her.

"You are an amazing witch, Hermione."

_A/n: I debated whether or not to include sex. It's not the right time.. Not yet. Xoxo leave me reviews. :)_


	12. Cold Feet

**The Circumstances Of Crossing Paths**

**Chapter 12:**

**Cold Feet**

The engagement bliss that surrounded Hermione began to wear off around the next Tuesday. Following the squeals of excitement from Ginny, and the shocked and hurt glares from Ron, Hermione began to feel uneasy.

"Ahh, look. The mudblood's got a ring on her finger." Draco said, emerging from a corridor on their way to potions, "But, who would want to marry you? Such filthy blood."

Hermione turned to glare at him. "In case you haven't noticed, _Malfoy_, it's not as if anyone has a choice anymore. Besides, who were you matched with? Astoria Greengrass?"

Malfoy stopped short, turning to smirk at her. "Yes," he said, smoothly, "Astoria is my match. She's a bit of a whore, but, then again, so am I." With those last words he leaned in close to her, eyes flashing.

She backed away quickly, frowning, and turned to walk into their classroom. Draco called after her. "So, who are you matched with?"

She turned. "Fred Weasley." And entered the room. She could hear the distinct "figures." Behind her.

In the days before exams, Hermione forgot entirely about her looming wedding date. Molly had sent her several letters about dress fittings and flowers and cakes to which Hermione had not responded. As it turned out, their wedding would be the first real wedding, as Harry and Ginny had gotten married in secret.

_Ginny wandered into Hermione's room one Thursday evening. "Hermione?" she said softly, poking her in the arm. _

"_What is it, Gin?" _

"_Harry and I.. well.. we got married."_

"_You- I- what?" Hermione was stunned. It was a very Ginny thing to do, but she didn't think that she would go through with it. _

"_We went to the office in Hogsmeade. Last week. I've been meaning to tell you, it's just, I didn't want to deal with a big wedding fuss with mum, you know how she is with these things. She'd sent me stacks of pamphlets about dresses and cakes and tablecloths. I couldn't take it. So, one night, I asked Harry if he wanted to go get married. He was a bit confused at first, but he finally got it. And then we went and were married. _

_Hermione sat for a moment in stunned silence. Finally, she jumped up and hugged her friend. "Congratulations!" She squealed. "Er. Gin. You know your mum is going to have a fit, right?" _

"_Yeah, I know. I've written to her about it. Her response should be interesting. _

_And interesting it was. The next day at breakfast, when the mail was delivered, a large, tawny owl dropped a red envelope in front of Ginny. _

"_Oh shit." She muttered, picking it up by the corner. "Figures she'd send me a howler. Well, better get this over with." She unsealed it, and Mrs. Weasley's magnified voice rang throughout the hall. _

"_GINEVERA WEASLEY, I CAN NOT BELIEVE YOU. YOU KNOW I'VE BEEN PLANNING THIS WEDDING FOR MONTHS, I'VE ALREADY GOT EVERYTHING READY. YOU'VE BROKEN MY HEART, YOU ARE MY ONLY DAUGHTER. YOU KNOW I'VE WANTED TO PLAN YOUR WEDDING SINCE YOU WERE BORN. HOW DARE YOU." The envelope exploded into a "poof" and a few snickers came from the crowd. _

"_What is with you Weasleys and howlers?" Came a voice. _

_Ginny looked guiltily down at her plate. "I knew she was going to be mad ,but damn, did she have to make me feel that badly?" She turned to Harry, expecting a response, but he was embarrassedly playing with his sausage. _

Hermione laughed at this memory, turning the page in her Arithmancy book. Her studying had become more frantic than ever, and she wasted no time getting to work. Even Harry and Ron showed signs of stress, spending long hours together in the common rooms, and bent over books and stacks of parchment.

The only time she ever felt the stress of her marriage was when she went to sleep at night. Her absence from Fred left her feeling drained, and stressed. She wouldn't see him until exams were over, next week. But she needed him here, she needed him now.

Jumping up suddenly, she crossed the common room and went up the stairs to put on her coat and steal Harry's invisibility cloak. The hallways were clear as Hermione made her way to the one-eyed witch passageway, and entered. The tunnel was long and cold in the winter air, but Hermione found solace in the fact that she would see her Fred soon. Quietly, she lifted the stone that covered the entrance, and left the shop.

The dark Hogsmeade street was empty, allowing her to remove her cloak. The twin's shop looked less flamboyant in the dark, as well. She knocked on the side door. George answered.

"Well, well." He smirked, leaning against the door frame. "Look what the hippogriff dragged in."

"Erm. George? It's a bit cold."

His expression flickered. "Sorry." and stepped aside to admit her. "Fred's upstairs. I'll just… grab my coat." He disappeared out the door with a wink.

Hermione wandered up the spiral staircase, brushing her fingers on all of the toys and products that lined the shelves. The twins really were remarkable when it came to their shop. Her heart swelled with pride thinking about how much they'd accomplished.

"George, where'd you go? I got the whiskey you were looking f- Hermione!" Fred sprinted down towards her. "Hi!" He held her at arm's length, eyes raking up and down her body, "What are you doing here, I thought I wasn't going to see you until next week!"

She blushed, pulling him into a hug. "I missed you, I didn't want to wait." "I need you." She added with a whisper, pulling him up the stairs.

Confusion flashed across his face before he got the message a soft "oh" forming on his lips. The flat was warm as Hermione pulled off her jacket. She was wearing a shiny silver dress, one that Fred had admired before. She'd even taken the liberty to apply a bit of make up. Hermione led him down the hall and into his bedroom.

"Come here." She whispered, pushing him down on the bed before straddling him and taking his lips in hers. She deepened the kiss, rocking her pelvis against his growing erection. Hermione wasn't the type to do something so rash. It was her.. cold feet that drove her to do it. She knew she loved Fred, but she also knew that they still barely knew each other. That this "love" could be a lie. Not that she had any choice in the matter. Hermione felt that if she could do something like this, and wake up the next morning with no regrets, it would be okay, and she would be ready.

She pushed herself off of him, and pulled him up to meet her. "Undo my zipper, will you?" She whispered. He slowly slid the metal piece down her back, kissing her shoulders as he went. The dress pooled on the floor, giving Hermione a cushion as she sank to her knees. Teasingly, achingly slow, she pulled at his zipper, undid the button, and shimmied his trousers down to his ankles.

Fred bent down to her, and stroked her hair. "Are you sure you want to do this?" In response, Hermione squeezed the bulge in his pants. Fred moaned. She hooked her fingers around the elastic band of his boxers, pulling them down slowly. His cock sprang loose, twitching in the air before her. She'd never done anything like this before. It was all guesswork, but she placed her fingers around the base of his shaft and began to move up and down. Fred moaned softly, tilting his head back in ecstasy. She became more adventurous, stroking her fingers along the head, before kissing it. She then darted her tongue along it, licking up the salty precum that was forming. Hermione licked down the length of his shaft, and then took him in her mouth, bobbing up and down. Fred pressed his hands to the back of her head, forcing himself down her throat. She swirled her tongue around the head and fondled his balls with her fingers before standing to take off her bra. Fred's lust filled eyes traveled along her full breasts, her hard nipples, down, down to her womanhood, which was already soaking wet. He kissed down her neck, rolling her nipples in his fingers. She inhaled sharply. "Are you okay?" he whispered. "Yes." She responded, pulling his hand down to where she needed him the most. His breath hitched as he pushed his fingers through her pubic hair to her warm, wet folds. He pushed one finger inside of her, and then another, guiding them slowly in and out. Hermione gasped at the feeling. It was completely alien, but she liked it.

He pushed her down on the bed, spreading her legs, and placing himself at her entrance. "Are you ready?" She nodded, and he pressed himself into her. She gasped in pain as he filled her, but the pain didn't last long. She felt full. He stayed still for a moment before beginning to move. Slowly at first, but building speed. He pounded into her, lifting her legs over his shoulder. Hermione gripped the sheets of his bed as her orgasm built inside of her. When it ripped through her, she cried out, back arching off the bed. It rippled through her muscles like a wildfire, spreading a tingly, warm feeling. Fred pulled out as he hit his own climax, cumming all over her tummy with a loud "umf."

The two lay next to each other in shocked silence for a while.

"That was." Hermione began.

"Yeah. " He finished.

They rolled over and fell asleep.

_a/n: wee. lemons. Review?_


	13. A Present

**The Circumstances Of Crossing Paths**

_A/n: Hey, guys. New chapter? Yay! How did you feel about our last one, hmm? Did you like the smut? Good. On a strange note, I wrote the first half of this chapter listening to Chameleon Circuit and Charlie McDonnel's album on repeat.. :)_

**Chapter 13: A Present**

Hermione awoke the next morning to a very familiar position. Fred's arm was slung across her waist, and it was very heavy. She shimmied under it, and glanced at herself in his mirror. She noticed a few things right off the bat. First, her hair was a mess. Not the kind of mess that may be able to be sorted out by just brushing, but the kind that would take a shower and furious brushing and copious amounts of conditioner to sort out. Second, her lips were swollen and red, and actually hurt. She bit down and winced. Fred had really done a number on them.

She decided on a shower, and stepped in, turning the dial to the warmest setting possible. As the water cascaded down her body, she hummed nonchalantly. She turned when she felt a presence behind her. Fred had decided to join her. He pulled her close to him so that her back was pressed firmly against his chest. He placed his arms around her stomach, and his chin on her head.

"How do you feel?"

This could be a loaded question. Hermione took a quick inventory. She was sore. Quite sore. Her legs ached and her arms ached and her lips ached and everything below her waist ached. But she felt… good. She didn't feel a sense of regret, or sadness at the loss of her virginity. She felt satisfied. Sex wasn't the endgame for Hermione, or the main goal of her relationship, but it was a nice part of it. She'd definitely want to do it again. Soon.

"Fantastic." She answered, turning to him. "I feel fantastic."

He smiled down at her and kissed her forehead. "Good." He kissed the top of her head. "Good." He whispered again.

"I love you." She murmured, tracing the planes of his pale chest.

He smirked at her. "You sure you're not just saying that because of my massive cock?"

She grinned evilly. "Massive cock? Oh, you mean this thing?" She suddenly reached down and grabbed his cock in her hand, stroking it roughly. Fred tilted his head back with an "Uhhhngg, Hermione."

She used her other hand to rub his balls between her fingers. "Do you like that?"

He glanced down at her and nodded, dazed. She worked him until he was redder than his hair and came all over her chest. When he'd finished, he leaned back against the shower's tiles, breathing heavily. "Jesus. That was- um- thank you-."

Hermione just smiled before exiting the shower. "You're welcome." She shouted over the pattering of water. "You owe me one, now. Remember that."

(ovovovo)

She had eaten her breakfast and was fully dressed when the chimes of Fred's mantle clock sounded.

"Oh shit!" She scrambled around for her coat and shoes, "I'm late, I've already missed three classes! I forgot it's Friday! I have Potions and Defense Against The Dark Arts! Shit, shit, shit!"

Fred wandered in, toothbrush in hand, and laughed at her.

"What are you laughing at? I've never missed a class! Ever! Well," she added as an afterthought, "if you don't count the time I turned was a cat for a month." Hermione frowned at her shoes.

Fred placed his hand on her shoulder and the other under her chin, forcing her to look up at him. "Mione, I'm going to ask you to do something a bit drastic, okay?"

She looked wide-eyed at him. "O- okay?"

"Skive off."

"What?" She jumped up. "Fred, are you crazy? I can't! I've got an essay due and we're starting a new unit and- Oh, I shouldn't have come!"

Fred growled under his breath. "Oh really?" He picked her up and set her on the table and kissed her roughly. "Are you sure about that?" he whispered into her ear, spreading goose bumps down her neck.

She sighed. "No.. It was a good idea." Hermione leaned against his chest, hugging him to her. "I love you, Fred."

"I love you, too, Mione."

(ovovovo)

He led her down a small street in London. There were shops and small office buildings and apartments and restaurants that charmed Hermione. The small business part of the London scene was her favorite thing. Fred led her to the front of an empty shop. He produced a small key, and unlocked the door.

The inside was clad with dark wooden paneling, and shelves lined the walls, with multiple rows protruding into the space. Hermione walked around, open mouthed. "What is this place?"

Fred hopped onto the presumed checkout counter. "It's yours."

She gasped. "No!"

He nodded his head and jumped off the counter, crossing over to her and wrapping his arms around her waist, rocking them back and forth.

"Yup." He replied, twirling her around. "I bought it for you. Marriage present. I thought you'd like it, you know. Having your own bookshop." He looked up at her through his lashes. Hermione looked around in stunned silence, running her fingers over the dusty shelves. It was the most perfect place that she had ever seen. And it was hers.

"Fred- I- this is too much!" Tears began to leak out of her eyes.

"Hey, hey," He grabbed her shoulders and looked into her eyes. "I'm sorry, I'll- I'll sell it. I can get my money back, I'll do something else. I'll get you something else. Don't cry. Shh." He pulled her into his chest. Hermione stayed there quietly for a minute, letting Fred hold her, before pushing away from him, brushing the tears out of her eyes, and smiling.

"I'm not mad at you. Or sad. Don't be silly. It's just… this is the most perfect thing anyone has ever given me. It's wonderful. I love it. I really really love it."

"You do?"

"Yes! Of course!"

He hugged her tightly.

"I'm so happy. I hoped you would. I had a few ideas."

Hermione sat on the floor in front of the counter. "Oh, really? Let's hear them."

a/n: So, I'm currently listening to The Sound Of Drums by Chameleon Circuit and um it's a fucking awesome song. Everything by them is, duh. Also, I've literally spent the last 2 days watching nonstop Vlogbrothers videos. If you don't know what that is, It's John and Hank Green's youtube channel. It's pretty sweet. Check them out.


	14. Wonderful Ideas

**The Circumstances Of Crossing Paths**

**Chapter 14:**

**Wonderful Ideas**

"Well," He pointed towards the back of the room where a large spiral staircase stretched to the upper floor. "Up there you could put a reading room. You know, some couches, chairs. Things like that." He shrugged, whilst she smiled.

"I think that's a wonderful idea."

"There's also a flat above that room.. I was thinking when we get married, we could live there. I don't think you'll want to live with George.."

She giggled. "No, I love George, but I don't want to live with him."

"That's what I thought." He whisked her off of the counter, and pulled her up the iron staircase into the reading room, through another door, and up some the stairs.

Hermione drifted across the floorboards, whilst Fred leaned against the doorway, assessing her reaction. She lightly trailed her fingers along the molding on the walls, over the mantel of the fireplace in the North corner, and turned to face him.

"I think it's beautiful." She breathed, and he grabbed her hand once more and lead her down a hallway to the left. He opened the first door.

"This would be our room," He waved in the direction of a large window that faced the street below. He dragged her into the next room. "And this is the bathroom. It's small, I know. But I thought it would be perfect." He led her to the last door. "This could be a room for… for.. well, you know." Hermione instinctively ran her hand over her stomach, as if imagining what might be. She could imagine red haired children in her future, and she suddenly felt a strong yearning to be a mother. She stepped back, confused. She had never thought about children before. She was still so young, it took her by surprise.

Fred's face fell. "Or it could be an office, you know. Or a guest room."

Hermione ran her hand down his arm, and took is hand in hers, holding it to her chest. "No, Fred. I want children. Lots of them. I was just surprised. I'd never.. never thought about it before."

A wide smile spread across his face. "Really? You do?"

"Of course I do."

"I've thought about it. Quite a bit, actually. How do you like the name Marius?"

Hermione giggled. "Fred, where did you get that name from?"

"I was passing a muggle shop, and there was a boy on the tallyvision with that name. I thought it was nice. There was also a girl with the name Cosette. I like that one, too."

Hermione giggled again. "Those names are from a muggle musical called Les Miserables. And I like the name Marius, but we can't name our daughter Cosette, too. Marius and Cosette fall in love."

Fred frowned. "Oh. Well, how about Bree? Or Rowena?"

"You want to name our daughter after Ravenclaw?"

"If she gets your genes, she'll be smart. So why not?"

She punched him on the arm. "You're smart, too. You and your brother have your own shop. You do some really amazing magic."

His eyes drifted over her face, to her lips, and he placed his hands on her waist and looked down at her through his lashes. "I've always wanted to hear you say that. I always thought that you thought we were wasting our time."

"How could I think that?" She whispered, moving closer, "You have two shops open, hundreds of reliant customers, and your magic truly is amazing. I am so so proud of you."

He closed the distance between them and kissed her soundly, pushing his tongue through her open lips to deepen the kiss. He traced the tip of his tongue over her teeth, and Hermione shivered. Throwing her arms around his neck, he picked her up and laid her down on the floor. Both of them were breathing heavily as they removed their shirts. Hermione unhooked her bra, and threw it in a corner. He leaned over her, his legs straddling hers, his bare chest touching hers, and he kissed her again. His breath was hot on her skin as he kissed down her neck and chest to her breasts. His lips ghosted over her nipples, and he rolled them between his fingers. They hardened under his touch. He wrapped his lips around one of them, tugging gently with his teeth. Hermione arched her back off of the wooden floor, and pressed her pelvis against Fred's growing erection. He kissed down her belly, and hooked his fingers around the band of her jeans, pulling them down off of her legs and throwing them in the same corner as her bra. He pulled her underwear off next and lifted her knees up before licking lightly around her clitoris. She moaned softly. He licked her again, tracing his tongue between her folds, and swirling it around her opening. Hermione gripped his head against her womanhood, and cried out as she came. He crawled back up to her, undoing the buttons on his trousers and kissing her. She tasted herself, salty and sweet, on her tongue. He aligned himself with her, and pushed inside. Their heads moved in unison, mouths together, as he pushed himself in and out of her. Her tight entrance wrapped itself around, pulsing and pulling him deeper inside of her. He sat up on his knees, buried to the hilt inside her, and fucked her faster, eliciting a cry of pleasure from Hermione. She shifted so she was sitting on his lap, and bounced herself up and down. The pleasure was so intense; she gripped his shoulders, nails biting into his skin. Her teeth grazed his collar bones, and his hands had a vice-like grip on her waist. He pulled her face up to his and kissed her roughly, their lips pushing feverishly against one another, their flushed skin tingling. Hermione began to pant as she could feel the tingly-burning sensation building in her abdomen again. It reached his peak and she was undone, her womanhood pulsing around his cock. He came directly after her, ejaculating into her with a cry. The two sat like that for a while, Hermione wrapped around Fred, and Fred's arms wrapped around her. Finally, Hermione rose and walked to the bathroom, splashing her face in cold water. He stood behind her, and ran his hands over her waist and tummy.

"I love you." He whispered into her ear.

She looked up at him, and stroked his hair with the back of her left hand. "I love you too."

He sighed before releasing her and putting his clothing back on. She did the same, and together they left the shop. When they got to the end of the street, they carefully checked to make sure there was nobody around, and apparated, hand in hand, back to Hogsmeade village.

_A/n: Something funny: I was writing the smut in history, and then in study center, and when my study center teacher came over to see what I was working on, I told him I was working on history. He tried to look at what I was writing and I just closed my laptop slowly, and said "You really don't want to read that." He just looked at me and walked away. Also, how do you feel about the lemons? I like it, I don't know. I haven't written lemons in a while. Please review! Thank you! :)_


	15. Owls and Curses

The Circumstance of Crossing Paths

Chapter 15

They apparated back to the twin's shop, where they said goodbye and Hermione walked back in the cold to Hogwarts. She came back at the end of dinner and walked up to her dormitory, where she encountered Ginny.

"Where've you been all day?" Ginny said, not looking up from her book.

"With Fred. He took me to our apartment. For after we get married. And we…"

Ginny set down her book on the end table beside the couch. "You….?" She looked expectantly, at Hermione and scooted to the edge of her seat. Hermione dropped into the chair across from her.

"We had sex. Twice."

At first Ginny reeled in disgust. "Ugh. I guess I should have realised that this would happen at some point." ("Doesn't make it any less disgusting," she added under her breath.) "Well? It was your first time, wasn't it? Did it hurt? Was it good?"

Hermione giggled. "It did hurt, a little. Just for a second. Then it was.. god. Fantastic."

Ginny nodded. "I understand. My first time with Harry hurt like a bitch. He's huge, let me tell yo-"

Hermione cut her off. "Gin, I don't need to know about the size of Harry's… thing. Thanks."

"I can't believe I'm asking this, but. Is he… er… well… endowed?"

Hermione snorted, kicking her shoes off and reclining with her feet over the arm of the chair. "I've only ever had- relations- with one person, but, yes? I mean, it was big enough…" Hermione drifted, remembering their times together. Ginny snapped her fingers.

"Mione'. Come back to us, Mione'."

"Oh, sorry."

"So, where is this apartment of yours?"

Hermione gushed, "Oh, it's beautiful, Gin. He bought me a bookshop. And on the second floor is a reading room, and then you go down this little hallway, and there's a door, and some stairs, and then this little flat, it's so adorable. There are two bedrooms and a little living room and a fireplace, and the kitchen is tiny, but I don't really cook, anyways. It's so wonderful." She finished by absentmindedly running her hand over her belly. Ginny noticed.

"Why did you just do that?"

"Do what?"

"Run your hand over your belly?"

Hermione blushed. "I was just thinking about the second bedroom. We were talking about baby names before. He wants to name our daughter after Rowena Ravenclaw."

"He has no tact." She shook her head.

"I like the name Rowena, it's just, I'm not sure if I like it for a child. I was thinking more along the lines of Bree, or Edward.."

"I understand. Harry and I decided that we're going to name our kids Albus, James and Lily." She stopped for a moment and looked into the fire. "I'm going to go to bed. I'll see you tomorrow, Hermione."

She smiled. "Goodnight, Ginny."

(OvO)

The next morning she woke, showered and went down to breakfast.

"Mione! We missed you yesterday. Where were you?"

She blushed. "I wasn't.. I wasn't feeling well."

"Awh, come off it." Ron interjected mouth full of sausage. "You never miss class, ever."

She looked down. "I was really ill, okay?"

"Whatever you say." Harry smirked at her. She could only assume Ginny had told him last night.

Ron returned to his sausage, a sour look on his face, as he tried to figure out her lie.

Exams were fast coming, and although Hermione had begun to revise for them, she still had a lot to do and panic was setting in. After her last class, (potions) in which Neville had managed to make a perfect potion for draught of the living death, she darted through the crowded corridors to the library. She chose her favorite corner in the back of the library and set to work. Not long after she began to revise for Arithmancy, Madame Pince rounded the corner with a slip in her hand.

"Miss, the books you requested are in. They're up on my desk for you to come get."

"Alright, thank you."

Hermione had completely forgotten about the books that had been checked out by Seamus. That still puzzled her. What would he need with bond magic books? For all she could tell, he was perfectly happy with Lavender Brown. They spent all of their time cuddling in the common room, or with their faces stuck together in various corridors and closets. They had been engaged during the first week of October, and had been inseparable since.

She collected the books from Madame Pince's desk and wandered back to her seat, only to find someone in it.

"What're you doing with those bond magic books, Granger?" Malfoy drawled, from his lounged position, feet laying across her books.

She looked up from the first tome in surprise and frowned. "How did you know what I was reading? And what are you doing back here?" She set the stack down with a thump.

He shifted his legs off of the table and stood up. "I have my ways. Thinking about dumping Weasley, are we?"

"Not at all." She flashed her diamond ring in his face.

"Well, well. What have we got here? A diamond? I didn't think he'd even be able to afford a fake one."

"Funny, I seem to recall _you_ not being able to afford much after the war."

He frowned. "At least I've not got dirty blood."

She huffed. "Is that the best you can do? Really? I thought you'd given up on that."

"Apparently not." He waltzed away, back to his own table.

She frowned again, sitting down, and opening the top book. She skimmed through it, not finding much on the topic at hand and picked up the second one. It contained more information that she was looking for.

"_Bond magic isn't easy to fool. To counteract the magic, you'd have to administer a very strong love potion the person you want it to counteract."_

That made sense to her, but where would he find a love potion that strong? She chewed on her lip, and stood up, walking over to the section on potions. She skimmed the titles, picking out one and settling back down. Hermione flipped through the pages, finding the passage she needed.

"_The most powerful love potion is Amortentia. This potion can be combined with others to dilute it, making it powerful, but not as powerful. This love potion would still be powerful enough to override much magic, however, and should be used with caution. The earliest recorded use of Amortentiais is in 1266 when…"_

She shut the book, tapping on the cover with her nails. The only place she could think of that would sell love potions to students would be…. Fred and George. She gasped, gathering her papers, and rushing to the owlery to send a letter.

(OvO)

The cold night bit into her skin as she tied the letter to the leg of a brown school owl.

"_Fred," _She had written, _"Do you recall if you ever sold a love potion to a student named Seamus Finnegan? You should remember, he's in my year, the Irish boy. The accident prone one that was always blowing things up? It's urgent, If you could get back to me as soon as possible, please. _

_I love you,_

_Hermione." _

The common room was pleasantly warm when she walked in. What was not so pleasant, however, was the appearance of Ron, waiting for her, in a chair facing the fire.

"Hello," She said, rubbing some blood back into her fingers, as she sat on the couch.

"You've missed dinner two nights in a row. That's not like you."

Hermione was vaguely aware of a rumbling emptiness in her stomach, but she ignored it and picked up her things to go up to her dormitory. Ron placed his hand on her arm.

"I figured out where you were yesterday."

"I told you, I was ill."

He gave her a disapproving look. "No. You were with _Fred._"

She looked at him. He appeared angry, but dazed, somehow. Like he was saying the words, but didn't mean them, or didn't really believe what he was saying.

"So what if I was?"

"Do you love him?"

"Yes."

"Oh."

She continued warming her hands, very aware that Ron was staring at her. She got up to leave again, but he stopped her.

"Wait, Hermione, please give us another go, I love you."

She shook him off her. "No, Ron, I told you, I love Fred."

He lunged, crashing his lips to hers. Hermione turned her head in attempt to force him off of her. He continued to try to kiss her, and forced his hands up her jumper.

"Ron- No! Stop!" She cried out, attempting to shove him back, but he was too strong. He placed his hands around her breasts and began to knead them. She reached for her wand, but it was still in her coat on the floor.

"Ron- please! No!" He shoved her down on the couch and forced his tongue into her mouth, licking her teeth and her own tongue. She bit down, tasting blood. He drew away immediately.

"Ow! What was that for?" He touched his tongue where she had bitten him.

She slapped him across the face, panting. "Don't you EVER try that again. Do you understand me?"

He nodded, still attempting to staunch the bleeding in his mouth.

"You should see Madame Pomfrey about that." She marched up the stairs and slammed her door. How dare he.

_A/n: This story has about 2 or 3 chapter left with an epilogue. I will be writing a new fic after that, most likely Dramione. I will also be continuing The Ones That Love read the first chpter of that one and review! Also review this one! I've had over 8,000 hits and only 80 reviews! Not that I'm complaining, I love the reviews that I have, but I know you can do better. :)Thank you, as always for reading. I love you all more than I can say. Also, If you have any prompts, feel free to inbox them to me and I'll get to you as soon as I can. Also, you can follow me on twitter at Dracos_snitch or on tumblr at Tomfelton-and the-cumber-cocks. You can also send me fic ideas and things there. Thank you! I love you! Cheers, and have a good weekend. _


	16. Gotcha

_A/n: Hey guys. I'm so sorry I'm awful at updating. I swear on my life I will finish this story and finish the other stories that I actually plan on finishing. When this one is done I plan on finishing The Ones That Love Us, and maybe starting a Drmione fic. If you're reading this, thank you for sticking with me. The next chapter WILL be up on Friday night. I hope you like this one! Love always._

**The Circumstances Of Crossing Paths**

**Gotcha**

Saturday dawned with panic and nerves throughout the castle. Exams were to begin the next week, and all marriages had to be completed two weeks after that. It was easy to say that most of the castle was more than a little worried.

Teachers had their hands filled with keeping Hogwarts in order. With the upcoming marriage deadline, there had been an outbreak of students out of bed late at night or students caught in compromising situations in the corridors.

Hermione spent her time studying, panic really setting in. Molly had contacted her with details of the wedding and to send her measurements as soon as possible. She also included three different dresses for her to choose from, four different color schemes, and a list of the menu for the reception. Once she had gotten that out of the way (she picked the second dress, a maroon and gold color scheme, and okayed the menu), she began to spend all of her time in the library. When class wasn't in session, she could be found there in her favorite corner, huddled over a mass of books and rolls of parchment.

When the next Saturday arrived, she awoke as early as she could manage. She silenced her wand alarm with a wave, grabbed her shower kit and a towel, and silently stole into the girl's bathroom on the fourth year's floor. It was pleasantly empty. Most students didn't tend to rise during the weekends any time before 9:00. It was only 6:30. The beginnings of grey morning sunlight streamed across the walls and ceiling a Hermione undressed and stepped into the steamy shower. The hot water streamed down her body in ribbons. She recalled the night before.

"_Ron-No! Stop"_

She had cried out, but nobody had heard her.

"_Ron, please, No! Stop!"_

She had pleaded, but nobody had heard her. His rough hands had clasped her breasts as his lips fiercely attempted to coax a response from her.

Hermione found herself curled into a ball in the corner of the shower. Ashamed of her reaction, she quickly stood, claimed her favorite soap from her kit, and began to furiously scrub her skin until it was raw and red. Tears coursed down her cheeks, and she brushed them away with a shaking hand. She sat down again, afraid of toppling over and hurting herself. Ron had been her friend for years. She couldn't believe that anything would make him act like such an- an animal. She was determined to get to the bottom of her predicament, after exams, of course. She gathered her courage, finished washing herself, and dressed.

The Great Hall was still relatively empty when she arrived. Only 10 or 12 people gathered at the ends of their respective tables. She picked up a cup of strong black tea and munched on a piece of toast, pulling out one of her books to begin revising. A flutter of wings informed her of the arrival of early morning mail, and she looked up hopefully for Fred's response.

A small, tawny owl landed next to her. She fed him a piece of bacon, and he stuck out his leg for her to take her mail.

"_Hermione,_" It said, "_We have so many customers that come in, it's hard to recall any single one. Fortunately, we have to keep a record of potentially dangerous merchandise, like love potions, so you're in luck. I checked and we did sell a love potion so Seamus Finnegan. He bought about 13 bottles of our potion called Amortentia Maris no. 2. It means "Love Of The Sea" and is very strong. It's mostly a diluted form of Amortentia with some other ingredients. The love potion would have to be administered once a week every week to keep the desired witch or wizard under the spell. The receiver of the love potion also must have a bit of the person they're supposed to fall in love with in it (saliva, blood, hair, fingernails. It's gross, but usually the person doesn't know what they're drinking is a love potion). Each bottle would last for about a month. The potion can be administered through food or drink, as well. I hope that gives you what you need. I love you._

_ Fred"_

She crossed her legs under the table and took a long sip of pumpkin juice, deep in thought. For the love potion to work on Ron there had to be a bit of her DNA in it. But where could Seamus have gotten such a thing? He couldn't have gotten into the girl's dormitory… the girl's bathroom was off limits, as well…

"Hello Hermione. Fancy seein' you this early."

Hermione nearly jumped out of her skin as the one who had been occupying her thoughts sat down across from her, reaching for a mug of strong black tea.

"Hello Seamus!" She exclaimed, a bit too brightly, quickly shoving Fred's letter into her school bag. "How are you this morning? It's a bit early for you, isn't it?"

"Aye. I'm exhausted. But I'm meetin' someone soon. Gotta look me best." He flashed her an award winning smile and crunched into a slice of buttered toast.

"Who?" Hermione pressed, continuing to sip from her mug.

"It's a secret."

Her smile waivered, and she set down her mug, shifting her fork around her plate and standing up.

"Well," She said softly, lifting her bag, "I hope you have a nice time." She flashed him a smile and turned to walk away.

"_Wait a minute" _She thought, turning around just in time to see Seamus carefully wrapping her fork in a napkin and slipping it into his pocket.

"Gotcha." She whispered to herslef, before turning on her heel and heading to the library.


	17. I Think I Love You

The Circumstances of Crossing Paths

Chapter 17

Monday was the beginning of exams. Hermione gave up on her appearance entirely, Harry gave up on getting any sleep, and Ron nearly collapsed under the pressure he had placed upon himself by procrastinating revising until the extreme last minute.

Their first exam, Transfiguration, began at 10:00 A.M. sharp. The sixth year Gryffindors and Ravenclaws pooled outside Professor McGonagall's door early enough to make her stamp outside of her door, mouth pressed in a thin line, grumbling under her breath about students being too eager. Harry thought that Hermione would nearly lose her head over the Professor _grumbling_ about students being eager to learn. However, Hermione was not paying any sort of attention, for her entire focus was placed on studying the dust filled cracks in the stone floor.

She was nervous. Her mental state was a wreck. The situation with Ron and the daunting reality of her upcoming marriage was almost too much for her. Hermione clamped down and held fast to her sanity. The sooner she could lose herself in her Transfiguration, the better.

Ron furiously shuffled through a large stack of notecards, asking Harry to quiz him. Lavender, Padma, and Parvati were rapid firing questions at each other in the corridor corner, and Neville was nervously muttering to himself from the floor by the door. The bell tolled for 10:00. The Professor opened the door. The exam began.

Two hours later, the students were released on their break. Hermione quickly hurried into the library to review her notes for their next exam, potions. She was sure that she had done well in Transfiguration, as the time had flown by like no time at all and the questions were simple. Her potions exam was comprised by a one hour written exam, closely followed by a two hour practical exam.

The week served as a happy distraction from her chaotic life. Molly had written her once more finalizing their plans for the weddings. After their exams, students would board the train in Hogsmeade station to begin the winter holidays. George and Angelina were to be married on Monday, Ron and Cho on Wednesday, Percy and Penelope on Friday, and Hermione and Fred on Sunday. The women had a dress fitting the day they got back to London at a place called Madame McCoul's Formal Wizarding Wear. The men had a dress robes fitting the next day.

The bell tolled noon, and the corridors filled with the swoosh of robes, and the din of voices. Hermione shoved her books into her bag, threw it over her shoulder, and stepped into the madness. The current of students pulled her on to the Great Hall, where it deposited her deftly onto the hard wooden bench. She reached for a platter of chips and a bowl of hot soup, welcoming the warm liquid into her cold body. She clutched a mug of the close to her chest as she was joined by he classmates. Ginny sat next to her, placing her head on Hermione's shoulder and moaning.

"Ungggghhhh."

"What's wrong, Gin?" She whispered, faintly, sipping her drink.

The red head looked up inquisitively, squinting her eyes at the other girl.

"These exams are driving me mad. I've just finished Potions and it was awful." She reached for a plate of rolls and stuffed one in her mouth. "Snape sat behind his desk and stared Colin down the whole time, the old bat." She tugged off another piece with her teeth. "He hates Collin. It's not Collin's fault he's scared shiteless, I mean, how is anyone supposed to work with him breathing down your neck?"

Hermione smirked, picking at her plate of chips. Ginny dug into her Shepherd's pie, shoveling forkfuls into her mouth and barely swallowing. It was a marvel that the girl stayed as thin as she was. Harry plopped down across from her, yawning into the crook of his arm and reaching for a pitcher of pumpkin juice. Ron slid in next to him, staring disgustedly at Ginny.

"Oi, save some for the rest of us, won't you?"

Ginny pulled a smirk as she started on her soup. "Funny coming from you, pig."

Harry grinned at her, and she batted her eyelashes at him.

A few minutes later, Seamus and Dean sat down next to Hermione.

"Hello, 'Mione." Dean nodded towards her.

"'Mione." Seamus nodded, as well, loading his plate with all of the food he could reach. He pulled a flask out from inside his pocket, putting his finger to his lips and winking at her before dumping a hearty amount into his goblet. She grinned over her teacup. She was nervous, yes. But more importantly, she had a plan.

She shoved a chip into her mouth, engaging in light conversation with the group, and when the Ginny and Harry were finished eating, they departed, hand in hand, out of the hall. She quickly slipped Ginny's fork under the table and switched it with her, praying silently that she would forgive her after the whole debacle was over with.

She set down her teacup, slung her bag over her shoulder, and walked down the aisle on her way out of the hall. At just the right moment she peered over her shoulder, and, like clockwork, she saw Seamus slip "her" fork into his bag.

Potions, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Herbology passed without a hitch. Arithmancy and Muggle Studies were the easiest of the bunch. When she finally collapsed into an armchair in the common room on Thursday night, she was spent. She had finished her final exam, and was ready to go to her second home, the Weasley household, The Burrow. The Hogwarts Express was set to leave at 9:00 the next morning, and she couldn't wait. Partly because she was ready for the marriage to happen, and partly because she couldn't wait to see her plan implemented. She climbed the stairs, changed, and crawled into bed, dreaming of white dresses and red headed, brown eyed children.

The morning dawned with blue skies and big, fluffy clouds. Despite the beautiful sky, the chill of winter air seeped into the castle and infected everything. Hermione stretched her arms and flexed her toes before wandering into the shower and warming up under the hot spray. She scrubbed herself down with her favorite lilac scented soap, combed her hair, and dressed quickly. She threw everything she would need into her trunk and skipped down the staircase to the mostly empty hall.

Her trademark mug of tea in hand, she cautiously picked at her breakfast, awaiting her best friend's appearance. When Ginny trudged in a half an hour later, Hermione was already almost finished with her second cup of tea, and 36 pages into a new book.

"Good morning, Gin" She commented cheerily, marking her page and flipping the book closed.

Ginny grunted and pulled a mug of black coffee towards her. "M' tired. Harry kept me up all night. Nightmares, I think." She frowned, taking big gulps of the acrid liquid.

"Are you all packed?"

"Yeah, I'm only bringing my clothes home so I can bring some new ones. I've gained half a stone, and a few of the shirts don't fit any more."

Hermione surveyed her friend's body. "Half a stone? No way! You're still as thin as a stick."

It was true, the redhead was very small. She probably didn't have an ounce of fat on her. It was all muscle from her quidditch training, and in the off season she knew that Ginny liked to box. She had a firm abdominal core, and toned arm and leg muscles. The boys used drool over her. But now, she had eyes only for Harry, and Harry had eyes only for her. She knew that he loved Ginny more than anything in the universe, and had confided in her that he couldn't wait to start a family.

The two bantered back and forth until Hermione noticed someone lurking over Ginny's shoulder.

"Yes, Ron?"

The fiery haired boy stared down at his sister with glazed eyes. Ginny whipped her head around to face her brother.

"What do you want?" She snapped at him harshly, but he continued to stare. By now a few other students had taken notice to their situation. Some Gryffindor third years were giggling and pointing. Ginny shot them a glare. She snapped her fingers in front of Ron's face.

"Hello? What do you want? Why are you staring at me like that?"

His lips began to move, but no sound came out. Ginny stood.

"Yes? What?"

Still, no sound came out.

"Spit it OUT, Ron!"

His eyes widened and he looked up from the floor.

He whispered quietly, "I think I love you."


	18. The Burrow

**The Circumstance of Crossing Paths**

**Chapter 18:**

**The Burrow**

_a/n: Hello! I'm sorry this chapter is so late, I've been so busy with school . I'm literally about to shoot myself. I have an AP exam and an SAT subject test coming up, and it's driving me fucking nuts. But, here it is!_

_Also, to Seriously's review of "What 16 year old dates a 13/14 year old," It's actually quite common! When I was a freshman in high school, I dated a junior! I was only 14, and he was turning 17! Beside, I'm not too sure who you're talking about. Seeing as this is what would be Hermione's technical 8th year, she should be 18, and Fred should be 20/21 (I'm pretty sure). Which is even more normal! Age difference usually only seems strange when you're young, and 3 years is a VERY small age gap. _

Ginny stared at him open mouthed.

"_What_ did you just say?" She clenched her fists, thinking he was playing a joke on her.

"I said-"

"I KNOW WHAT YOU BLOODY SAID. I'M ASKING WHAT YOU MEANT BY IT."

He backed away fearfully, as she advanced on him in full rage. Hermione looked around as if to try to find a fire extinguisher to diffuse the situation.

"Gin, I think you should just sit down, ignore him, he's obviously playing a cruel joke." She scowled at him.

"Leave, Ronald." Hermione clutched her cup of tea again and turned back to discuss hair potions with Ginny.

The group boarded the train 15 minutes before it left the station and settled into a compartment at the far end. After a short time, Neville and Luna showed up with Cho Chang in tow. She looked miserable, and immediately flocked to Ron's side.

"Baby," She purred in his ear, stroking his arm, "Why haven't you talked to me? I've been so tired, it's been miserable without you! What happened to the boy that I hung out with that first week in the summer?"

The week after they had gotten their letters, Cho and Ron had met up at a small bakery in Diagon Alley to discuss their partnership. Cho seemed infatuated with him, which surprised Hermione, as she had seen neither hide nor head of her for weeks. She kissed him lightly on the cheek, but he continued to ignore her, instead frowning as Ginny curled herself into Harry's lap and snogged him viciously.

"Baby," She tried again, attempting to pull his face towards her.

"Don't!" He jumped up off of the bench and glared at her. She shrunk into the corner, cowering. Ginny and Harry broke apart with a slight "pop."

"Can't you see that I don't want you? That I don't love you? Why are you so obsessed with me? You aren't even that pretty! Not as pretty as- as-" He turned toward Ginny, fiery coming into his eyes, "as her."

Harry stood up slowly. "Ron, mate, are you okay?" He waved his hand in front of Ron's face, but he just continued to stare at his sister.

Ginny came up behind him and pulled him towards the door. "Come on Harry, let's go."

The sky darkened as Hermione curled into the previously occupied corner and closed her eyes. The effects of not seeing Fred for almost two weeks were beginning to set in. She imagined being with him, in their apartment after she was finished with school and they were married. She was thinking of painting the walls in the living room a nice dark red. And maybe painting the… nursery… pale yellow. She couldn't wait to settle in, cuddle by the hearth together, have romantic dinners out on the town, work with him in the shop… Her heart fluttered happily as she dozed off into a content sleep.

When she woke up, Harry and Ginny were back in the compartment speaking quietly with each other. The sky outside had darkened with rain clouds and the room flickered with the glow of lamps. Rain pattered quietly on the window, running in streaks down the panes. The drops seemed to be racing each other, but before they could reach a definite end, they joined into one.

They pulled into King's Cross station a short while later. Hermione, Harry, and the Weasley's were warmly embraced by Molly, followed by a warm hug for Cho, who still looked a bit put out. They all crowded into a magically expanded car and headed for the Burrow.

When they arrived, there was much commotion going on. All of the elder Weasleys were bustling about making preparations for the next week's festivities. A large white tent had been set out behind the house, and in front of that were rows upon rows of white chairs. George and Angelina were busy levitating and tying dark purple flowers to a large archway at the end of the rows of chairs. In the aisle, Mr. Weasley was rolling out a silver mat.

When Fred caught sight of Hermione, he rushed over and twirled her around, kissing her soundly on the lips.

"I missed you." He breathed softly into her ear. She hugged him tight, afraid that if she let go, he would disappear between her fingers.

Fred picked up her bags and led her upstairs into her shared room with Cho. Once they were married, they would be allowed to have their own room, but until then Molly was adamant that they were kept separated. He dropped her bags with a clunk on the floor at the end of her bed and captured her lips in his. He kissed her passionately, injecting as much of his love and desperation into her as he could. She felt life and warmth come back into her tired limbs, spreading from her heart into every fiber of her being. He pulled her pelvis closer to him until she was flush against his rigid groin. He moaned softly at the feeling of her against him.

Fred pulled her on top of him as he sat on the bed, pressing her legs apart with his knees, so she straddled him. She pressed her center against his cock, and felt it jump slightly at her touch. Hermione gently began to grind against him as she explored every inch of his mouth.

Breathing quickly and heavily, he inched his fingers under her shirt to cup her breasts. Pulling the top down to expose her aching nipples, he pulled and twisted them with his fingers, eliciting a whimper of pleasure from her. She made quick work of his shirt, and then stood up to pull off her trousers.

The sex was quick and hard. It couldn't even be defined as sex, really, it was fucking. She undid the zip and button of his trousers, and pulled his cock out, smearing the drops of precum over his head to lubricate him. Flipping her over, he pulled aside her panties and rubbed his finger between her slit, pumping them in and out of her tight opening before thrusting himself deep inside her. He grunted, pushing himself in to the hilt of her warm canter, and then fucked her into the mattress. Hermione reached between her legs and rubbed her clit, bringing her to her climax. She screamed as her walls tightened around him, rippling with pleasure. With a few more thrusts, he was undone, shooting his hot cum into her. Fred collapsed on top of her, not bothering to pull out, his sweat mingling with hers as he tried to calm his breathing.

"Jesus." He muttered. "If that's how it's going to be when I don't see you for weeks, you'll have to go away more often."

She swatted him playfully on the arse, grinning at him and kissing him lightly. Exhausted, she got up, placing her breasts back where they belonged, and pulled her jeans up. He scanned her, lustfully.

"You know, you're sexy as hell when you look like that."

"Look like what?" She attempted to comb through the mess her hair had turned into.

"Thoroughly shagged." He pressed his renewed hard-on against her, and pushed her legs apart with his knee once more. He rubbed her sex through her pants with his cock, making her clutch the edge of the bed.

"Want to go again?" She said, naughtily looking at him over her shoulder.

"_Hell _yes." He roared, throwing her back onto the bed, once more.

_a/n: fuck, I'm so horny right now I can't even. The weddings will start next chapter. I lied when I said there would only be three more chapters. At the rate I'm going, there will probably be like 10 with an epilogue. Probably even more. I'm literally making up this story as I write it (which is why it's so bad). I would like to thank all of the lovely people that have graced me with 111 reviews and over 25,000 views on this story (HOLY SHITE). You are all bloody fantastic. Now, off to watch Orphan Black and Doctor Who! Also, if you have any prompts you'd like me to write, send them to me on here, or through my tumblr at the-pillars-of-the-kings . tumblr . com. _


	19. George and Angelina

**The Circumstances of Crossing Paths**

_a/n: In advance, I'd like to thank everyone for reviewing and reading! You're all so great. I hope you like this chapter! I can tell that my writing is improving, can you? _

**Chapter 19:**

**George and Angelina**

The morning dawned with birds singing, dew dripping from flower petals, and the shrill shriek of Molly Weasley's voice scaring away the larks as she ordered people into their designated places. Hermione and Fred complied, not wanting to get on her bad side, especially after she viciously berated Ron for missing two forks when he was polishing the silver wear.

People began to arrive sometime around 3:00. Hermione, Ginny, Fred, Ron, and Harry acted as ushers, guiding the elderly and the young to their seats according to the maps that they had all been given. Muriel, the Weasley's extremely old, slightly insane, and decrepit aunt looked upon Hermione with steely green eyes.

"So you're her, are you? The girl that's going to marry Freddy?" She scanned her as if to seek out any minuscule flaw.

Fred wrapped his arm around his Aunt's waist, grinning at her devilishly and planting a kiss on her saggy cheek. "That she is." He stated brightly.

Muriel's slight frown transformed into a satisfied smile. "You'll do." She commented, patting Hermione's arm before being swept away to her seat with a backwards wink from Fred. Ginny glided up beside her, looking exquisite in her flowing, knee length silver gown and matching strappy heels.

"I see you've got the old bat's seal of approval. She nearly bit off Harry's head when she found out that we were already married. I swear." She looked over the rows of people, some she knew, most she didn't, and sighed. "Poor mum. This is all so stressful. And she's got all of these people living on her lawn for the next week. I'm surprised she hasn't gone mad."

It was true. Before anyone had gotten ready that morning they had one final task to do. There was a very large tent like structure, similar to the one that they stayed in when they were at the Quidditch World Cup, and again when they were hunting horcruxes, that needed to be set up. Hermione was amazed when she discovered that like the other tents it was magically enhanced to be bigger on the inside. But, unlike the other tents, this monstrosity could hold over 300 people with multiple floors and even separate "flats." From the outside it simply looked very large. But from the inside, it was beautiful. There was a lobby with a lift at one end that led to the upstairs floors and a fireplace sat crackling merrily on the left wall. A large chandelier hung above the center of the room. When Hermione asked where on earth the Weasleys had acquired such a thing, Molly responded that it had been in her family for ages, but hadn't been used since their wedding, over 30 years before.

When everyone was seated, a pretty woman wearing silver Ministry robes stood up in the center of the archway, followed by George. He looked dashing in fitted, dark purple dress robes. The traditional Wedding March began, and heads turned to the back of the aisle where Angelina was beginning to descend. She was dressed in a long sleeved, simple, white, empire-waist gown. The neckline was cut in a square shape, revealing only the top of her breasts. There were no embellishments, allowing for her natural beauty to shine. The color contrasted beautifully with her chocolate skin, and even more so with the happy glow she was exuding.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the union of two faithful souls, George Weasley and Angelina Johnson…"

In the front row, Molly was already crying quietly into a handkerchief. Arthur, next to her, was rubbing soothing circles on her shoulder.

"Do you, George Weasley, take Angelina Johnson to be your lawfully wedded wife? To care for her and love her until the end of your days, wherein you two shall part?" George smiled at Angelina and carefully slipped a shiny white-gold band on her left finger. "I do."

The Ministry witch turned to Angelina. "And do you, Angelina Johnson, take George Weasley to be your lawfully wedded husband? To care for him and love him until the end of your days, wherein you two shall part?"

She smiled at him, eyes shining with tears, and slipped his ring on his finger. "I most certainly do."

The Ministry witch smiled brightly. "Then I now pronounce you witch and wizard." She nodded to George. "You may now kiss your bride."

Angelina nearly jumped into his arms. George took her face in his hands and kissed her firmly on the lips, keeping it short because of all of the people present, but making it sweet at the same time. With a flick of his wand, Fred released a flock of doves above their heads.

When the sun began to set, the fairy lights that were intertwined with tree and bush branches lit up, casting a soft glow around the garden. The marquee tent was alive with a cacophony of voices, music, and the soft thump of feet twirling on the dance floor. The heavenly smell of Mrs. Weasley's cooking wafted through the air, reaching the noses of neighboring dogs who peeked their heads out from inside the hedges to find the source.

The tables inside the tent were much the same as they had been for Fleur and Bill's wedding. Disembodied trays floated around carrying glasses of champagne, shots of firewhiskey, goblets of pumpkin juice, and Madame Rosemerta's (to her delight, she had been invited on the request of Harry, as she had helped to get him to Hogwarts that fateful night in his sixth year) mulled mead. The table cloths were shimmery silver in the flickering light of candles, and the chairs a deep purple, casting long, dark shadows on the floor. A large table was set up at the far end of the spacious dance floor, laden with platters of food. There was succulent roast beef, potatoes, sausages, treacle tart, chips, chicken, puddings, soups, and a variety of sauces.

Hermione's mouth watered at the sight of so much food, and on her way back to their table from visiting with the hordes, she filled her and Fred's plates to the bursting. He heartily thanked her as he dug in, filling his legendary Weasley stomach. Hermione didn't know how they did it. All of them had the appetite of lions, which was fortunate, seeing as they were Gryffindors. He shoveled food down his gullet, emptying the plate in a matter of minutes. Hermione smirked at him as she picked at her chips, dipping them in a few of the various sauces she had opted to try.

When it was fully dark out and the dancing was in full swing, Mrs. Weasley presented the bride and groom with a wonderful cake. It was 5 tiered, with dark purple fondant covered in beautifully decadent silver flowers. Atop the cake stood small, to scale models of them, waving and laughing and kissing happily. They cut the cake together, took turns shoving it in each other's faces, and then stepped on to the dance floor to take their first official dance. The song chosen was a slow melody by the wizarding group A Thousand Patronuses. They circled around each other, foreheads pressed close, whispering sweet things. Soon, others joined them, twirling and dipping to the slow beat.

Fred pulled Hermione aside during one of the more upbeat songs and requested that she take a walk with him. The two padded along the stone path towards, and then into, the hedge maze, hand in hand, until they were sufficiently lost. He pulled her under a large willow tree and conjured a blanket for them to sit on, so as to protect their clothes from the dew. Fred laid his head in her lap, and Hermione played absentmindedly with his fiery locks.

"I love you." He whispered, closing his eyes under her touch.

She smiled. "I love you, too." Her finger tips ghosted along his cheek. Hermione bent forward, kissing his forehead softly.

She knew she loved him, she knew that he loved her, but still she was afraid. She was giving her life to this boy because the government demanded her to. She was going to have his children and live with him for the rest of her life. The image of brown eyed, red haired children flitted across her mind again, and she took a deep, shuddering breath. She wanted that so badly. _Gods_ did she want it. But being committed so early, and being bonded so tightly was terrifying. What if one of them died? Would the bond break? How could she live without him if not being near him for only a few days cause considerable side effects?

Fred opened his eyes, then and frowned at her.

"What's wrong?" He clutched her hand.

"I'm afraid." She breathed, truthfully.

He flipped over, and sat next to her, a crinkle forming between his eyebrows. Putting his arm around her and pulling her into him he whispered "Of what?"

"You," she answered "This, dying, children, _forever._"

He paused for a minute. "I am, too."

She turned in disbelief. "You are?"

"Of course I am. I've known you for years, but I've only really known you for a few months. I'm going to be married to you, bonded physically and emotionally, for the rest of my life. You're going to bear my children. That's terrifying."

He took a breath.

"I love you, of course, but is that just the bond? Or is it that we would eventually find each other, anyways?" His eyes had a distant look to them.

She waited, letting him explore his thoughts. "I always liked you." Her fingers intertwined with his.

Fred smiled down at her, kissing her nose lightly. "You know, I always liked you, too. I think it might be that smart mouth of yours."

Hermione bumped his shoulder in playful offence. He became serious again, pulling her chin up to kiss her deeply. They broke apart a few moments later, breathing hard with passion and arousal.

"You know I love you. So much." The crinkle had formed between his brows gain, giving him a pained look.

She reached the free hand that wasn't clutching his up to stroke his cheek again.

"I love you, too."

_A/n: So, I thought I'd give you a slightly longer chapter this time. It's also a break from all of the smut I've been writing. You're welcome for the quick update. Although, I have to thank Florence And The Machine for motivating me. Their music is so good for writing. Next chapter up in a few days! Review, please! _


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